Ban importation of rice, Ikpeazu urges FG
The view that agriculture should be a new vista for development in Nigeria has gingered a call on the Federal Government to ban the importation of foreign rice.
The Abia State Governor, Hon. Okezie Ikpeazu, made this call on Monday in Umuahia when the Board Chairman of Non-Oil Export Promotion Council, Uloma Olewengwa, leading others, paid him a visit, stating that there was the need for stakeholders in agriculture to think seriously about products from Nigeria.
Ikpeazu said Nigeria should not be spending $2 billion daily purchasing rice when the local variety exists in the country, pointing out that as long as Nigeria continued to celebrate foreign rice, the economy will continue to have problem.
“The best is for the President to stop the eating of foreign rice”, he said stating that this will reduce the appetite for it, while yam and cocoyam will be eaten, which was what of fore-parents ate and lived long.
“Appetite is the major problem”, Ikpeazu concluded, stating “Agriculture is the new vista for development in Nigeria and the country must look for alternative source of revenue apart from oil”.
In the state, he said cassava is the champion, hence the need for strong and robust research, pointing out that the only way to maximize the use of land is to get the ban.
The state, he posited should be able to make a statement in form of agriculture, especially with research institutes around, stating that the country should find a way of bringing the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC to the table to be able to follow researches and not to be seen as watchdog ready to be avoided.
