Kogi State Government has said commitment to agricultural revolution has yielded positive results,as there is an increase in rice production in the State.
The Director General, Media and Publicity, Mr Kingsley Fanwo during an appraisal of the State Government’s agricultural plan, said
“we are poised to strengthen our lead in cashew production as well as take over the leading role in cassava and rice production because of our comparative advantage in these crops”.
He stated that there is a massive revolution on going across the state in the area of rice production.
“Kogi State had declared a state of emergency in the agricultural sector long before the unstable revenue generation in the State”.
“Our rice mill is near completion and by the end of the year; the Nation will be shocked by the magnitude of work put in place to ensure rice sufficiency in the Country”.
Mr Kingsley explained that the Ibaji Rice Farm, which has the potential of causing a revolution in the Nation’s production, was on course.
“We attach great importance to the value chain and the multiplier effect agriculture can have on the economy of our State”.
“In 2023, we want Kogi to become the food capital of Nigeria and this administration is working towards that”.
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture claimed, in August, that Nigeria has reached a production of 15 metric tonnes of rice annually and is thus saving about 300 billion used in importation of rice in the past.The Ministry also claimed Nigeria will start exporting Rice by 2018/2019.
With the CBN’s Anchor Borrowing Programme, inaugurated in 2015 by President Buhari, 12 million Rice farmers were reached even as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development says Nigeria will be self sufficient in Rice production by November this year.
