According to a revelation by a Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill, by June 2019 it will reach its target of 500 tonnes of daily production, just as it is now producing 250 tonnes daily to boost food-sufficiency.
As disclosed by Mr. Subhash Chand, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, who made this known to media outfits in Nigeria. Adding that the multi-million Naira state-of-the-art rice mill, owned by an Indian national, was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano sometime in December 2019.
The diplomat gave the assurance that the production capacity of the mill was being expanded to hit 500 tonnes by June. He added that the investment was part of the overall efforts of the High Commission to help Nigeria attain self-sufficiency in rice production.
Chand emphasized that India was supportive of Nigeria’s efforts to fully localize rice production, disclosing that many Indian companies are already among the leading millers in Nigeria.
He further disclosed that the mill was built with machinery fabricated in Nigeria with local contents by Indian and Nigerian technological experts.
Also, based on the Nigeria-India’s cordial relationship, Indian investors are already investing in Nigeria to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. He noted that technical partnership was another area of mutual benefits to the two countries.
It can also be recalled that in 2017, Nigeria’s rice consumption stood at 7.9 million tonnes while the production rate has increased to 5.8 tonnes per annum from previous 5.5 million tonnes due to Federal Government’s local rice production policy.
Additionally, the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) attributed the increase to the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme with a total of 12 million rice producers and four million hectares of FADAMA rice land cultivated between 2015 to 2018.
Most importantly, Amarava Agro Processors Limited, a subsidiary of Fullmark Group was established at Amarawa Village, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, with an initial 288 metric tonnes daily capacity. President Buhari was reported saying at the inauguration that Nigeria’s continued dependence on rice importation had put a strain on the economy as well as the nation’s food flow.
Buhari added that a substantial amount of the nation’s foreign exchange went into rice importation yearly, noting that the mill will help Nigeria to progress towards food self-sufficiency. Also, the bilateral trade between Nigeria and India spanning in 2017 and 2018 was put at $12 billion (about N4.3 trillion), which can be expanded by both countries.
