Consumers have expressed concern as the price of rice has continued to increase, a development, which has left vendors and consumers bitter.
Early this year, former Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Audu Ogbeh said the country had attained 90 per cent of rice production.
He said the country had moved from being a major importer of rice to being self-reliant in its production. He said it did not only have the capacity to feed itself, but had also become a major player in agricultural export to other countries.
Like Ogbeh, the Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN) said the country had attained a yearly production of eight million metric tonnes of rice, with a target of 18 million metric tonnes by 2023.
The contrast
These indices seemed to be farfetched from what was obtained in some markets visited. Rice vendors lamented the shortage. Since the border closure, they claimed that manufacturers and distributors had distributed short supply and the goods were rationed to get an even distribution in various markets across the country.
They said sometimes they were out of goods because the manufacturers did not have rice to sell. The shortfall they noted has been the major cause for the constant increase in price as manufacturers cannot meet up with the demand.
Barely three weeks after the closure of the border, the price of Nigerian rice skyrocketed from N12,000 – N13,300 to N15,000. At the moment, it is being sold for between N17, 000 and N19,000, depending on the brand. Brands, such as Famous, Lake Rice, Bigbull, Al-hamzad, Humza, and Olams Labana fall in this category. A derica of rice sells for N350 to N400. It is believed that, in few days, the price would go beyond N20,000.
The Nation
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