FG to import 100 large-scale rice mills – Minister

Plans are under way to import 100 large-scale mills to boost rice production in the country, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said on Monday.
Adesina said  this in Abuja at the National Agricultural Commodity Chain Development seminar organised by the Ilorin-based Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI).
He reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to meet its target of making the country self-sufficient in rice production by 2015.
“These rice mills, not owned by government, owned by a private sector, would put in place the capacity of 2.1 million tonnes.
“That means that the rice value chain in Nigeria will for the first time in our nations’ history, make us to have full industrial capacity, be internationally competitive and can export to the rest of West Africa.  According to the Minister, “13 new rice mills with the total capacity of 240,000 tonnes, all owned by the private sector, have been created in the last 12 months.”
In his remarks, the Executive Director of ARMTI, Mr Samuel Afolayan, said that the institute had embarked on a study on the prevailing situation in selected agricultural commodity value chains.