Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) said insecurity in parts of the country and the absence of regulatory bodies are responsible for the high cost of rice in the country.
The national secretary of RIFAN, Livinus Ngwangwa, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP in an exclusive interview in his office yesterday, noted that the activities of bandits have discouraged many rice farmers from going to their farms.
Ngwangwa said apart from the challenge of insecurity, rice millers, processors and marketers also engage in hoarding the commodity to create artificial scarcity and increase the price of rice.
He stated that until a price regulatory body is set up to check the activities of rice millers, processors and marketers, the price of rice will remain out of the reach of the common man.
The national secretary of RIFAN also called on the government to subsidize the cost of farm inputs, such as fertilisers, tractors and chemicals, for rice production to enable rice farmers to produce and sell the commodity at cheaper rates.
He commended the federal government for introducing the production of local rice, adding that the effort should be sustained through subsidies to farmers.
Ngwangwa also warned against buying and consumption of imported rice, which he said could lead to many health challenges.
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