Nigeria is determined to end its dependency on foods imported from abroad in a bid to cut the yearly import bill of $1.2 billion to the barest minimum, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has said.
He said on Sunday in Abuja the country was still massively importing wheat, rice, Sugar and fish even when the country could produce enough to meet the needs of its 160 million people.
Adesina said government has set a clear goal of adding 50 million tons of food to the nation’s food supply between now and 2015.
He said this has become imperative to avoid economic decimation that could lead to revolution in the country.
Adesina said to kick start the program under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) the ministry was focusing on four main produce namely cassava, rice, cocoa and Sorghum.
The minister said that the transformation of the sector would strengthen the government’s program on food security, improve the living conditions of farmers and generate more employment.
He said government has expanded the processing capacity of a 90,000 tons capacity rice mill in Ebonyin, Niger and Kebbi states by accelerating their completion and go into full capacity production by February of 2012.
Adesina said by April 2012 an additional 14 rice mills with a total capacity of 440,000 tons would be acquired under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) concession.
He said the PPP arrangement has become necessary for all stakeholders, to be in the driving seat for agriculture to regain its status as the main economic driver in Nigeria.
“If you look at the rest of the countries of the world, private sectors had always been in the driving seat in agricultural development.
“All the government does is to facilitate, create the enabling environment where banks will support those private sectors that are in agriculture and where markets will be open and value added processes will be put in place” he said.
He said to feed the mills and ensure constant paddy rice government was targeting 450,000 rice farmers in 2012 and provide them with all the needed inputs and irrigation facilities for all season rice farming.
Adesina disclosed that in Anambra State, the ministry was reviving the moribund 40,000 tons capacity Omo rice mills with five thousand hectares of irrigated land and community of farmers that grow rice.
Source African Press Agency
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