Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has just revealed that most of the rice eaten by Nigerians are produced here in the country.
Ogbeh who made news a few weeks ago following his comments about people ordering pizza from the UK made this known at the 2019 Annual Research Review and Planning meeting held yesterday at the Balarabe Tanimu Conference Hall at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, Kaduna State.
Ogbeh, who was represented by Karima Babangida, the Director of Extension Services in the ministry, said;
“One very good example that we see today is the home-grown Nigerian rice. Hitherto, Nigeria has been a major and largest importer of rice from Thailand and this implies largest importer in the world. But today, we have been able to achieve a paradigm shift in the right direction and we are now producing 90 per cent of the rice we eat in the country, I think we should appreciate our farmers here.
Nigeria does not only have the capacity to feed itself, it also becomes a major actor in agricultural exports to other African countries, Europe and American countries, including the Far East, especially China.” he said