Nigerians
imported 165, 852 metric tonnes of rice in the first three weeks of
October this year, amounting to over three million bags of 50 kilogramme
of the commodity.
With an average
market price of N10,000 per bag, about N33.2bn would have gone into the
purchase of this essential food item in just 21 days.
This
figure is 51,952MT higher than 113,900MT of rice imported in September
this year, according the latest statistics obtained from the Daily
Shipping Position, compiled by the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Traders and economists attributed the surge in the volume of rice import to the end of the year festivities.
A
trader, Mrs. Ronke Adeoye, noted that some people were already
stockpiling the product in anticipation that the price could shoot up in
the last two months of the year, ahead of the Christmas and New Year
celebrations.
Many corporate firms often buy rice for distribution to their customers and workers as part of the end of the year gifts.
The
rice import is still high despite the Federal Government’s imposition
of additional 60 per cent tariff on its import this year.
To
encourage local production of rice in the country, the government had
earlier this year raised the tariff on imported rice to 110 per cent.
But due to pressure from importers and other stakeholders, who observed
that the local production could not meet the demand of consumers, it was
slashed to 60 per cent for rice traders and 20 per cent for rice mill
owners
In a conversation with our
correspondent, the Vice President, Rice Sellers’ Association, Daleko
Market, Alhaja Silifat Akinsete, said apart from the popular Ofada rice,
they had yet to see any other Nigerian cultivated rice in the market.
She
added that the ‘Ofada’ rice which had been in existence over the years
was more expensive than the imported rice which was readily available in
the market.
The President, Rice
Importers and Millers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, said
that some rice importers had started embracing the backward integration
policy by taking up rice mills that were no longer functioning to
produce rice locally, adding that without the policy they would not have
thought of acquiring the mills.
According
to him, the reason why the locally produced rice has not reached the
South West was that the integrated mills are located in the northern
part of the country and they are being sold in the environment where
they are cultivated and milled.
The
RIMIDAN boss said, “The government has done a lot in interfacing with
dealers with new incentives. We are beginning to take ownership of the
local rice production policy. Government can give further support
through the reduction of smuggling by the custom officers. Our interest
is to feed our people and get employment for our youths. We support the
government strategies because we need to fix our homes before we stop
importation.”
On his part, the
President, Nigerian-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture,
Chief Femi Orebote, said that to ensure high quality of rice production,
improved technology should be learnt from experts in the field from
Thailand.
He said that the recent
review of the policy on importation of rice, which initially encouraged
smuggling, made Thailand to feel concerned about the business in the
country, adding that it was willingly to extend its expertise to
Nigerian farmers.
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