Ban on rice importation causes Thailand woes

Nigeria's massive investment in Agriculture has started yielding positive results that led to fall in country's rice importation.

The effort has caused the collapse of seven rice mills and increased unemployment rate by 4 per cent in Thailand.

Thailand has accused Nigeria for the woes in the rice industry, a major mainstay of the country.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbeh, said Thailand's Ambassador to Nigeria decried the situation when he visited him in February.

The minister made this known at a meeting of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) and leadership of the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN) held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President who presides over the meetings commends the Minister, CBN anchor borrower-ship initiative for farmers and The Custom service for implementing the government ban on rice importation through land borders. 

"But one last request Mr President, we have to take one strong measure against our neighbour to the West. The smuggling is really compromising our capacity on our result.

"Too much rice, too much fake fertilizer is still coming across the borders into this country in spite of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) we have with them they are not listening.

"Maybe if the Federal Government take one tough action, they will come and renegotiate the terms because good neighbourliness means reciprocity.

"We can't be allowing them to survive at our own expense and I believe that we will do something about it.''

Ogbeh appealed to FEPSAN to adjust their blending formula using little more micro nutrients for some crops like cocoa, cashew, plantain, banana and others that would soon be revived by his ministry.

The minister noted that the agricultural sector had created millions of jobs for Nigerians in the last two years.

He said: "People may say what they like about jobs. Recently I heard that we lost four million jobs. Nobody has calculated the millions and millions of jobs created on the farms.

"So, this programme as it grows can only make us stronger.

"As soon as more dams and lakes are put in place, you begin to sell fertilizer all year round and not wait for the rainy season alone.''