Shortage: Nigeria to Import 500,000 Tonnes of Thai Rice

Worried by the increasing food prices in Nigeria, the Nigerian government on Tuesday announced plans to import 500,000 tonnes of rice to tackle the ugly global trend.

The Governor of Nigeria’s Ondo state, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, on behalf of his fellow governors, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday after an emergency meeting of state governors and President Umaru Yar’adua that Nigeria had earmarked N80 billion (about US$695 million) for the purchase of rice from Thailand.

“Although we cannot say there is famine in Nigeria, yet the prices of foodstuffs are going up and availability in a number of places is diminishing.

He added that the Nigerian government was aware of the ban on the exportation of rice by some major producers, but that it would exploit the special dedication of 4 million tonnes of rice by Thailand to vulnerable African countries.

Agagu said that the rice, which is expected to arrive in Nigeria in three months, would be sold to the public at subsidized prices, explaining that government targeted to sell the rice at N5,000 (about US46) or less per 50-kg bag.

“We all know that several states in the country are rice growing, so we will encourage our people who are rice farmers to grow more now that the rains are here.

“Our people will be encouraged to grow more, but because we envisage already some shortfall in supply, we therefore took a decision to import 500,000 tonnes to be sold at subsidized rates.

The governor said that the meeting, which lasted three-and-a-half hours, also mandated the governors to increase their budgetary allocation to agriculture and food production over the next four years.

The price of rice, which has become a staple food in Nigeria, has risen from N8000 (about US$65) for 50 kg bag in December 2007 to N11,000 (US$94) in April this year.

Source African Press Agency

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