FG to eradicate importation of rice, food items

There is a strong indication that the Federal Government may soon
place total ban on importation of rice, fish and other food items into
the country.
Giving the hint in Lagos,the Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Development; Dr Niyi Odunlami, said that
government was desirous of stopping the importation of rice, fish,
wheat and tomatoes.
Odunlami spoke as a member of the supervision team visiting staple
crops processing zones of the World Bank-assisted Commercial
Agriculture Development (CADP) project in Lagos.
He said that the Federal Government was working in partnership with
state and local governments as well as Local Council Development Areas
(LCDAs) to bring infrastructural development to rural farming areas.
"The Federal Government cannot do it alone; it needs the collaboration
of states and local governments as well as LCDAs.
"The rural farming areas need to be developed in terms of
infrastructure, so as to reduce or possibly eradicate the importation
of what can be produced here, such as wheat, vegetable, rice and fish.
"The fish we import is not different from what we can find in the
Nigerian waters," Odunlami said, adding that there is absolute need to
develop staple crop processing zones.
Some primary processing zones in the country had been selected as models.
They include Kogi, Kano, Niger, Lagos and Rivers states. The
supervisory mission commenced work on Nov. 28, with a visit to the
Lagos State Integrated Rice Processing Factory, Imota