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Local Millers Ask Buhari To Ban Sale Of Foreign Rice In Nigeria

The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RPAN) is pushing for outright criminalisation of sale of foreign rice in the country, the association leadership has disclosed.

To realise their objectives, the local processors have prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to promulgate laws and policies that will make importation and the sale of foreign rice in the country an illegal endeavour.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Saturday, RPAN director-general, Andy Ekwelem, said the recent reopening of Nigeria’s land borders had led to resurgence of smuggling of foreign rice.

He bemoaned the saturation of the country’s markets with foreign rice which he attributed to border reopening and attendant smuggling activities.

Ekwelem warned that the development, if left unchecked, would lead to the collapse of all the rice mills in the country, resulting in massive job losses.

“We have said it many times on the need for government to criminalise sales of foreign rice in the markets and supermarkets,” the RPAN chief said. “Rice is number one on the list of prohibited products in which CBN placed forex restriction.”

He added: “It is assumed that any rice you see in this country now, in the markets, shops and even in your homes that is not Nigeria made rice, it is smuggled into the country.”

Ekwelem lauded the occasional raids by law enforcement agents on markets and retail outlets selling foreign rice, noting that their action constitute “economic sabotage.”

He disclosed that although the rice value chain sub-sector had engaged about 13 million Nigerians on direct employment, most of the mills in the country were currently working at half capacity due to limited off-takers for the products they produced for Nigerian markets.