Rice farmers need public encouragement for perfection—AFAN

All Farmers Association of Nigeria has called on the Nigerian public to encourage local rice farmers to put in their best to feed the nation.

President of AFAN, Mr. Ibrahim Kabiru, made this call on Friday in Abuja

Kabiru called on Nigerians to exercise patience and understanding for the process involved in local rice production to be perfected.

The AFAN leader was reacting to complaints by consumers that local rice has not been stone-free since the closure of borders.

Kabiru said although he was not aware of such complaints, he explained that locally grown rice normally goes through certain processes before it gets to the final consumer.

“If stones are found in our locally produced rice, of which I am not aware, it means that the stones must be removed to make it for consumption,’’ he said.

AFAN president emphasized that rice production undergoes a number of processes ranging from drying, storing, milling and final processing, to de-stoning after the harvesting stage.

“It could be during these processes and considering the fact that rice must be produced optimally to meet local consumption,” Kabiru said.

He further said that a situation where stones are sometimes found in locally produced rice after border closure was not intentional.

“It’s a work in progress because rice is a staple food for Nigerians and demand must meet supply and the demand is much,’’ he said.

Kabiru urged Nigerians to exercise patience, disclosing that the challenge is not just to produce optimally for local consumption, but also to produce for exportation.