*As CBN approves funds for additional
rice mills
Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu
Ogbeh yesterday said that the federal government will soon stop
importation of rice into the country.
Meanwhile, Governor, Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele said that the apex bank has
approved provision of loans to finance additional rice mills in the
country.
The due spoke in Awka, Anambra State ,
alongside, Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Willie Obiano and Governor
of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar ... while fielding questions from
journalists during inspection tour of the 2,600 hectares rice
plantation of Coscharis Farms.
The rice plantation is one of the rice
projects funded through the Anchor Borrowers Facility of the CBN,
which is aimed at boosting food production in the country.
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| President Buhari in his office, Aso Villa, Abuja |
Ogbeh commented on the Coscharis rice
plantation saying, “As we go round we began to have great
confidence in our country. I think Nigeria’s independence is just
beginning to be established because unless a country can feed itself
and feed well every other dream can’t be fulfilled. This amazing, I
have seen similar things in Kebbi and I am seeing this big one. I am
very proud of Coscharis and the effort the Governor is making to
support him. In another year, we will have no need to import one
grain of rice into this country. In fact we may stop rice importation
sooner than that. It is final word I am telling you, because
Nigerians have proven that they can do it and I am proud that I can
see this thing in Anambra.
“I am also proud of the role the CBN
is playing because they are giving a lot of credit support, even
allocating the scarce foreign exchange that we have to a critical
sector like agriculture.”
“The rice sector alone will take off
two million people before we began to satisfy our needs of 8 million
tonnes. This is heavily mechanised, the smaller farmers don’t have
all these machineries but they contribute immensely. So jobs, jobs
and jobs, the millers are there, the marketers, the transporters, the
distributors, all of them will be part of this business, just for
rice. We have not even talked about cassava, of maize, of sorghum, of
millets, beans, yams so the future is huge, the jobs are there.”
Emefiele while commending the efforts
of the Cocharis Farms in boosting rice production in the country
said, “We started this with him, almost about two years ago when
we granted him a N2 billion Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme
(CACS). With his own resources, he added to it and that is why he is
where he is today. Those are the type of things we need to continue
to encourage. And about a month ago, he came to the CBN that we need
to come and see what he has done with the CACS fund we gave to him.
“I must say that I am delighted that
he has used the money well. And when he came, he requested for more
money because he wants to have the capacity to produce rice all-year
round, which is three harvests in a year. To do so, he needs
irrigation and he needs his mill. And I am happy to say yesterday,
the Committee of Governors of CBN gave approval for him to set up a
mill here and also set up his irrigation. That is the kind of support
we would give people who have shown interest, because there is no
foreign exchange to import food, when we can produce food in the
country.”
The Chairman of Coscharis Group, Mr.
Cosmas Maduka, in his remarks, stated that Coscharis Farm Limited
will provide full time employment for about 3000 people as well as
drive ancillary industrial growth in the state when all the phases of
the investment are complete.
He said the farm phase of the business
currently employs over 250 people, adding that the rice mill and
irrigation components of the investment for which the CBN has given
approval in principle to finance, will significantly enhance the
capacity of the business to create more jobs and boost economic
activities.
Maduka however called on other arms of
the federal government to be more responsive to requests from the
private sector to enable them achieve their set business goals in
good time.
"Although the government is
providing support, a lot more assistance is still required from the
government. Government should respond to our needs and requests
faster to help us meet our investment goals. For example, we have
made a request for waivers for the importation of our farm equipment
and it has been lying there for over a year without any approval. The
government should respond faster," he said.
He commended the CBN for agreeing to
provide financing for its rice mill and irrigation, while also
thanking the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the decisions to
allow the company use its silos for the storage of grains harvested
from the farm.
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra
stated, “We are hoping to catch up with Kebbi. We are currently
doing 210,000 metric tonnes. We call on CBN to support Coscharis
Farms and other small holder farms because they are structured here.
Through the agro-intervention funds we got N1.5 million and disbursed
it and now we want N5 billion. There is much money in farming- you
feed yourself and sell others”
On his part, Governor of Kebbi State
said, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, “We are happy that since last
year the President launched CBN's Anchor Borrowers scheme in Kebbi,
the state governments have been keying into the project. It is
evidence again when Mr Cosmas Maduka told us how the state governor
intervened on the brewing controversy over the land, which he
acquired 29 years ago. He also told of the state government's support
with infrastructure. This shows that the president's call, with the
support of the Minister of Agriculture and the Central Bank of
Nigeria was heard. With these developments, it is obvious that we are
on our way to rice sufficiency.”
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