Nigeria has announced plans to develop 10 large-scale integrated rice mills as part of efforts to boost food production in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Mohammad Abubakar revealed the plans during the fifth edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Scorecard 2015-2017 series.
Dr Mohammad Abubakar disclosed that the government has already released funds for the projects. The rice mills set to have a 320 metric tonnes capacity per day will be located in Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna, Gombe, Ekiti, Ogun, Bayelsa and FCT.
Becoming a self-sufficient country
The scorecard series is organized by the Ministry of Information and Culture to showcase the achievements of the administration in over seven years of being in office. Presenting the achievements of his ministry, the minister said the construction of the ten large-scale rice mills was part of the resolve of the administration for the country not only to be self-sufficient in the staple but for export.
Nigeria's current annual rice production capacity is only about 4 million MT below the national annual demand of 7 million MT. At present there are only 18 operating large scale rice plants in Nigeria, each having annual processing capacity varying from 15,000 MT- 120,000 MT per year? According to Chief Audu Ogbeh, 60 integrated large scale rice processing plants are required and must be fully operational for Nigeria to be self-sufficient in rice production.
Mr Abubakar also disclosed that the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative established in 2016 had led to the increase of fertilizer blending plants in the country from eight to 200. He added that the annual fertilizer production rose from 300 metric tonnes per annum to over 7 million metric tonnes.
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