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Ortom begs Buhari to sustain ban on rice importation
The Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, on Monday, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sustain the ban on rice importation in the country.
The governor made the call when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, visited him at the Government House in Makurdi.
He said the state was happy with president over the policy which had boost rice production and other agricultural activities in the state.
Ortom said: “The ban on rice importation remains a major milestone in the development of agriculture in Benue. We want to appeal to the Federal Government to continue with the policy.
“There might be hardship for a little while but farmers are smiling to their banks now compared to what used to happen. I have been into farming since 1984 and I am a living witness to this development.
READ ALSO: Ortom urges Buhari to heed calls for restructuring of Nigeria
“Before now, when we cultivate rice, we were not able to sell even the cost of production but today things have changed. Just harvest, the market is already there.”
The governor said many youths had also ventured into rice farming in the state.
He assured that with sustained policy and a value chain in the sector, Benue had the capacity to produce rice food for the country.
Ortom also urged the Federal Government to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide incentives for farmers and private investors in the value chain.
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