The Head, Procurement, Lula Rice Mill, a private rice milling company in Gombe, Mr Ahmed Bamusa, on Thursday said the Federal Government intervention in agriculture has attracted investments in rice production.
Bamusa said this in Gombe.
According to him, investors are now interested in investing money in rice production in Gombe state, due to the intervention.
Bamusa said that if the efforts were sustained Nigeria coukd become the biggest exporter of rice in Africa in the nearest future while boosting food security.
“We started in 2019 and today we are already working towards expanding our production because of the demands.
”We take demands from Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Ogun and other parts of the country.
“Go round you will see that many people are now investing in one form of rice value chain or the other.
”This is how our economy will be diversified and agriculture holds the key,” he said.
Bamusa said that people were coming into rice farming, processing and marketing, adding that, it meant more jobs for the youth.
He said the Company had employed over 91 youths so far and would soon employ more at the rate things were moving.
Bamusa stated that the border closure by government was a turning point for rice production in the country.
According to him, as rice is being smuggled into the country then, the economy is hurting but today it is different.
Bumusa said Federal Government should strengthen its intervention in rice production more by embarking on aggressive sensitisation of farmers in rural communities to adopt modern seedlings to improve quality of paddy.
“We must support local farmers to embrace modern farming practices; this is the only way to get the best from agriculture.
”In 2019, Lual, Rice chairman, Alhaji Farouk Bamusa, sold improved and disease-resistant seedlings to farmers.
“He bought improved rice seedling at the rate of N10, 000 per bag and sold them at subsidised rates of N4, 000 per bag and after harvest we bought the produce and they were happy,”, he said.
Bumusa said that the gesture was the company’s effort to encourage local farmers to use improved seedlings that meet best global standards while boosting productivity and enhancing farmers’ income.
He advised rice farmers to embrace the use of modern inputs and improved seedlings, adding that it was easy to market quality paddy as against the ordinary ones.
