Emefiele, Bagudu, Ogbeh Visit Ebonyi, Back Umahi's Ban On Foreign Rice

FG hails Ebonyi's move to ban sale of foreign rice

Promises to cultivate 1,500 hectares of cashew nuts

Agric minister urges youths to go into farming, says farmers are heroes of Buhari's administration

The Federal government of Nigeria has stated its support for the Ebonyi state government as it moves to ban the sale of foreign rice into the state. This was revealed by the minister for agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, who visited the state in company of the Chairman,Presidential Committee on Rice production, Abubakar Bagudu and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Quoting Ogbeh;

Governor, I hear you banned the sale of foreign rice in your state, God bless you for it. I also hear you invited young men to come back from Lagos and work here, God bless you also for it. They will be happier here in this state than living under the bridge or substandard accommodation in Lagos, Abuja or elsewhere.

Ogbeh further urged youths of Ebonyi state to venture into farming, adding that farmers were the heroes of the Buhari administration. He revealed that machines were going to be made available for farmers in the state. In his words;

By the middle of last week, I had some machines ready for you (Ebonyi State). These include threshers and even new par-boiling drums which operate differently from what women are using. When those machines come, young men will be thought how to enter a farm and harvest rice for farmers.These young men and farmers will make so much money to the extent that they will become millionaires in the villages. So wealth is here (in farming).

According to Ogbeh, the FG was going to plant 1,500 hectares of cashew nuts. Five hundred hectares for the three senatorial districts in the state.He also said that two cashew roasting factories will be built.

CBN governor, Emefiele, in his remarks stated that the bank's Anchor Borrowers Programme will kick off next year, helping to boost farming in Nigeria. Bagudu, on the other hand, revealed that Nigeria has achieved self sufficiency in rice production and preparations are being made for export.

Before departure, the team was pleased to see giant heaps of rice husks which the Ebonyi state government plans on using to generate electricity.