In spite the ban on imported rice by the Federal Government through the land boarders two years ago, huge quantities of imported rice flood Nigerian markets.
This development leaves many locally produced brands merely struggling to survive and very few have presence in some of the markets.
Daily Trust went to some of the big markets in Abuja to investigate how the local rice fares.
At the Garki Ultra Modern Markets, one can find no fewer than eight different brands of foreign or imported rice.
These brands include Pearl, Falcon, Royal Stallion, Tomato Aroso, Thai Caprice and Moto. Others are Tripple Seven, Oriba among others.
Although there are local rice brands such as Umza from Kano, Miva from Benue and Olam’s Mama Pride/Gold from Nasarawa, only the Olam’s rice has strong presence in the Garki market where it can be seen in most stores; whereas Umza and Mavi are rarely visible.
Often the difference between the local and imported brand is no more than N50. However, the consumers are influenced by this little difference to go for the imported rice, which they think is more polished, not minding the nutritional quality.
For instance, a 50kg bag of Tomato Aroso costs N14,550 whereas the same bag of Olam’s Mama Pride was offered to the reporter at the last price of N14,500.
At the Wuse and Utako markets, where the reporter visited no fewer than eight stores, local rice have very little presence as foreign rice dominates.
A seller, who identified himself as Patrick Daniel, said the boom in the foreign rice market was influenced by buyers’ preference for the imported variety, adding that there was need for that to change.
General Manager, Labana Rice Mill Ltd in Birni Kebbi, Kebbi State, Abdullahi Idris Zuru told Daily Trust that many local processors are unable to sell their rice.
He argued that the rice that comes in now is unprecedented and takes employment and wealth out of the country.
“Like this year, I am telling you, you can check all over, not more than 50% of the farmers that did dry season farming went back to it this year. Now, as a processor you buy the rice, process it but you cannot sell. So how can you go back to the market and buy rice paddy. Even if the processors will buy, they will do so at lower prices.”
Also speaking, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, the National President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) said the imported rice was taking so much money out of the economy and making it difficult for the farmers to make money in the country.
Goronyo believes total closure of the boarder was long overdue if government really wants to protect the country from diseases and capital flight.
Available statistic from the rice farmers’ association indicates that the annual rice production in Nigeria increased from 5.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2017.
Goronyo, told News Agency of Nigeria late last year that the consumption rate as at then was 7.9 million tonnes while the production rate was 5.8 million tonnes per anum, leaving the gap of about one million tonne.
