6th November, 2019
Rice millers in Gombe State comment on the increase in sales and patronage of locally-sourced rice since the closure of the border by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government had shut borders with neighbouring countries of Benin Republic, Cameroun and the Niger Republic since August.
According to the research done by a NAN correspondent, several rice millers who had shut down businesses, reopened while others formed themselves into clusters to process rice in large quantities since the border closure.
The association of rice millers lauded the President’s decision to close the border. They claim that the decision remains the best for the agricultural sector as it has enhanced the local processing of rice in large quantities.
Alhaji Umar Na-Abu, the former Chairman, Rice Millers’ Association of Nigeria, Gombe State chapter said that the closure was a good measure to boost employment and local production. He acknowledged that Nigeria can feed itself and condemned the importation of certain staple foods.
“May God bless President Buhari for this initiative. We now supply rice to different parts of Nigeria, especially the South and there are more jobs here for everyone except you do not want to work.
“We have left this place before but today we have all returned and we mill over 10, 000 bags every day. I mill over 1, 200 bags per day now with my machines as against 50 before. I sell at different prices depending on their types. We sell for N13, 000, N14, 000 and N15, 000 per 50 kg. Now, we are taking a lot of youths off the street,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Adamu Usman said the business of rice milling had witnessed a boom as more persons were now joining the business and there was no issue of competition because the market is available.
He called on the Federal Government to put up modalities to ensure that those who might want to undermine the government’s effort were stopped.
Usman, however, urged the government to also look into the issue of power supply.