The Authority | 7 November 2016
Olam’s rice farm and mill in Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The company has started developing a second 13,500 ha fully irrigated paddy farm on a greenfield site in Ondorie, Nasarawa State.
OLAM Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to be gradual in its move to ban importation of rice into the country in 2017. The firm said a gradual process will close the supply gap of 2.5 million tonnes in five years.
This was stated by the General Manager, Project Coordinator, OLAM Nigeria, Mahesh Nimje while conducting a media tour of the company’s rice farm and mill in Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nimje disclosed that the current rice demand in the country is about 6 million metric tons while the supply is 3.5million mt leaving a demand-supply gap of 2.5 million mt. He stressed the need for government to increase access to finance for farmers, encourage many international investors to invest in rice production, provide them with enabling environment, infrastructures, among other things to scale down the price.
“The Federal Government should support and provide more enabling environment for local investors and farmers to close the huge supply gap of 2.5 million tons before finally banning rice importation into the country”, he opined. …