L
LequteMan
Guest
The Federal Government has established 15 new rice mills across the country to boost local production of the commodity, Dr Andrew Efisue, the Director of Irrigation, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, disclosed on Monday at Lake Gerio, Adamawa, during a training session for dry season farmers.
Efisue said FG’s actions follows its proposed ban on the importation of rice and also to encourage local production.
He added that government embarked on massive dry season rice farming in order to meet up the demands of consumers.
The director said that rice production in the country would now be an all-seasons affair, adding that both dry and wet seasons would be utilised to meet demands.
He noted that two million rice farmers were being targeted across the country in the first phase of the dry season farmers training programme in which farmers would be supplied with free improved rice seeds, while three bags of fertiliser and insecticide would be directly supplied to each farmer by the Federal Government at 50 per cent subsidised rate.
“In addition, government will supply registered farmers with water pump machines for the rice irrigation at 75 per cent subsidised rate,’’ Efisue said.
Efisue said FG’s actions follows its proposed ban on the importation of rice and also to encourage local production.
He added that government embarked on massive dry season rice farming in order to meet up the demands of consumers.
The director said that rice production in the country would now be an all-seasons affair, adding that both dry and wet seasons would be utilised to meet demands.
He noted that two million rice farmers were being targeted across the country in the first phase of the dry season farmers training programme in which farmers would be supplied with free improved rice seeds, while three bags of fertiliser and insecticide would be directly supplied to each farmer by the Federal Government at 50 per cent subsidised rate.
“In addition, government will supply registered farmers with water pump machines for the rice irrigation at 75 per cent subsidised rate,’’ Efisue said.
