Nigeria’s largest rice producing state, Kebbi, targets price slash

One of the largest rice producing states, Kebbi, is set to achieve less than N10,000 drop in the prices of local rice per bag.

Its governor, Abubakar Bagudu, said the state’s target will be achieved through a collaboration with farmers and millers under the Federal Government’ Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP).

The governor spoke during the reception of Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture during a two-day visit to assess the government’s agricultural revolution.

Bagudu, who commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led government policy on rice, called for more investments by the public and private sector.

He said the mobilisation of 70,000 farmers and N11 billion spent on the pilot scheme had yielded substantial dividends and attracted national and global attention to the state.

He said in addition to the two major rice milling factories – Labana and Walcot – many small and medium scale millers have sprung up in the state.

Labana and Walcot rice milling factories, he said, had N55 billion demand for paddy.

The governor added that the Dangote group was concluding plans to set up a rice milling plant in the state.

He said the partnership between Kebbi and Lagos states on rice value chain that produced the Lake rice had solved the challenge of glut by providing a ready-made market for farmers.

The governor, who is the chairman, Presidential Task Force Committee on Rice and Wheat Production, noted that the level of investment in the state had proved that agriculture is the easiest sector for diversification.

He said the huge investments had also shown the confidence the investing community had in the Buhari’s administration.

The minister commended the governor, describing Kebbi as a trailblazer in using the Anchor Borrowing Programme to transform the agriculture sector.

Mohammed added that the programme aimed at food production, job creation, income generation and self-sufficiency had been a tremendous success the state.