FG blames rice smuggling on neighbouring countries.

Story by Funso Olojo |

Federal Government has accused alleged Benin Republic, Cameroun and Niger for influx of foreign parboiled rice into the country through smuggling. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed sad this at a media briefing in Lagos recently. He added that the government could not guarantee the healthy status of the rice having spent months on the high seas and warehouses.

Mohammed said that smuggled rice was primarily sourced from Thailand and India and came into Nigeria through the country’s borders with Benin, Niger and Cameroon.

“In Benin Republic, the total demand for white rice (white rice is consumed in Benin, against parboiled rice in Nigeria) is 400,000 MT.

In his words, “Yet the country, with a population of about 11 million, imports between one million and 1.2m MT of rice annually.

“Who are they importing for? Nigerians of course. In fact, as Nigeria’s rice import falls, Benin’s rice import increases.

“Most of the parboiled rice imported by Benin eventually land in Nigeria through smuggling,’’ he said.

He however appealed to Nigerians to complement the efforts of the government by consuming only locally-grown and processed rice which he said was fresher, tastier and healthier.’

“We don’t know where or how imported rice is made or how old it is? It is reported that most of the rice dumped on us are old and probably rejected.

“The citizens of those countries do not eat this rice. The citizens of Benin also do not eat it. But they send it to us.

“Unhealthy foods are dangerous to health. So let’s eat what we can vouch for,’’ he said.

The minister noted that, rice smuggling was the biggest challenge facing rice production in Nigeria.

Quoting the Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), he said that more than two million metric tonnes (MT) of parboiled rice were smuggled into Nigeria in 2017.

The minister said that smuggled rice costs between N11,000 and N13,000 per 50kg bag, while Nigerian processed rice sells for between N14,500 and N15,000 per 50kg bag. Explaining why price of local rice was higher, he said Cameroon and Benin Republics had lowered tariff payable on rice to 0 and five per cent respectively to encourage importation and subsequent smuggling into Nigeria.

He added that Thailand and India where the smuggled rice were sourced, also gave a high level of subsidies to rice farmers and rice processors.

The minister disclosed, that, local rice producers had made some representations to the government on how Nigerian rice could compete favourably well, in terms of pricing, with the heavily subsidized imported rice.

He assured that, government would work on the presentations to formulate policies and take steps that would bring down the price of local rice.

Mohammed noted that, less than three years into the rice revolution, millions of jobs had been created in the whole value chain in the country.

He, therefore underscored the economic importance of consuming locally produced rice, especially in terms of job creation.

“Nigerians should remember, that, every time they eat imported rice, they are eating the jobs that would have been created for Nigerians.

“It is important for Nigerians to know that when they consume imported rice, they are creating jobs in India and Thailand and destroying jobs across our country.

“Today, we have rice farmers in all states and all geopolitical zones.

“In fact, most of us have friends and relatives who are farming rice. So if we don’t patronize their products, we are destroying their livelihoods,’’ he said.

He said the government would embark on a massive nationwide campaign to sensitize compatriots on the need to support rice revolution by consuming local rice.