Rice farmers tell Abuja to involve them in policy decisions, assist them with inputs to enhance local production
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“The price of rice went down for a while because there was a tax exemption for its importation by the Federal Government for about six months.
“So, the subsidy period is over now, hence the current hike in the price of the produce.
“However, in making decisions like this, the government should get the farmers’ associations involved. They should ask what we want because the tax exemption lasted for a while, but did not solve the price issue.
“If we are not brought on board, we may not get it right. We are the stakeholders in the sector, and the government should involve us in its policy decisions.
“So, to get the price of rice stable, the government needs to liaise with stakeholders like RIFAN.
“The waiver on tax for the importation of rice is not the solution; the government needs to empower local farmers” – RIFAN.
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Rice farmers have asked the Federal Government to involve them in policy decisions about the commodity, saying the rice import tax exemption only reduced its price for the six months the exemption lasted and has since gone back up.
Femi Oke, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) South West Chairman, made the call and also reiterated that rice importation itself, or tax waiver on its importation, is not the solution to its shortage – rather the government needs to empower local farmers to raise production.
“The price of rice went down for a while because there was a tax exemption for its importation by the Federal Government for about six months,” Oke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“So, the subsidy period is over now, hence the current hike in the price of the produce.
“However, in making decisions like this, the government should get the farmers’ associations involved. They should ask what we want because the tax exemption lasted for a while, but did not solve the price issue.
“If we are not brought on board, we may not get it right. We are the stakeholders in the sector, and the government should involve us in its policy decisions.
“So, to get the price of rice stable, the government needs to liaise with stakeholders like RIFAN.
“The waiver on tax for the importation of rice is not the solution; the government needs to empower local farmers.
“Rice is a staple food in Nigeria; every household consumes it.
“If I am not mistaken, if the father or mother is not taking rice, the children will surely take it. So we should keep all hands on deck to stabilise the price of rice.
“Let us utilise our arable lands and cultivate more rice for the populace, we should not just concentrate on building houses and forget cultivation.”
RIFAN Lagos Chairman Raphael Hunsa blamed unscrupulous elements for frustrating the local cultivation of rice that causes its price hike.
Said he: “We really need God to have mercy on our country, Nigeria. The Federal Government is trying its best, but some fellows are hell-bent on frustrating the existence of local rice.
“They know that if local rice exists and thrives, there will be no more importation of foreign rice or indiscriminate increase in the price of the produce.
“With this current hike in the price of rice, we want the Federal Government not to relent on its efforts; they should continue to support and empower local farmers. One day, we will achieve price stability.
“We also want to urge the government to provide inputs or machinery for farmers, let it come directly to the farmers and not be diverted to political farmers.
“If it comes to the farmers direct, proper monitoring will be assured.”
“We also want commodity heads to know that the government is trying; they should not collude with unscrupulous persons to destroy our economy.
“If the government continues intervening in the sector, the price of rice will be stabilised.”
Depending on its variety, a 50kg bag of rice which sold for between N52,000 and N55,000 from May to June now costs between N75,000 and N85,000.
Local annual rice production capacity is estimated at 8.44 million metric tonnes and about two million metric tonnes are imported every year, making Nigeria one of the world’s largest importers of rice.
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