Smuggling: Importation Of Foreign Rice Threatening Our N3.4trn Agric Sector Investment-Rice Farmers

The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to criminalise the sale of foreign rice in the country.

The Director-General of the association, Andy Ekwelem made the plea while addressing journalists in Abuja on Sunday on the influx of smuggled rice into the country.

Ekwelem cautioned that with the way Nigerian markets had been filled up with smuggled foreign rice, if the government did not take decisive action, all the rice mills in the country would collapse while so many jobs would be lost.

He claimed that rice value chain sub sector had engaged about 13 million Nigerians on direct employment, adding that the number of people that would lose their jobs to the activities of smugglers would be much, if not abated.

He told journalists that at a time, the government tackled the menace of rice smuggling but immediately after the activities of #EndSARS movement and reopening of borders by the Federal Government, the markets were flooded with foreign rice.

He said, “We have said it many times on the need for government to criminalise sales of foreign rice in the markets and supermarkets. Rice is number one on the list of prohibited products in which CBN places forex restriction on.

“It is assumed that any rice you see in this country now, in the markets, shops and even in your homes that is not Nigeria made rice, it is smuggled into the country.

“The country is losing revenue because these smugglers are not paying the right duties to bring the rice into the country and this ugly development is killing our economy.

“We want a law that will empower law enforcement agencies to go to markets and shops to arrest anyone found with foreign rice because their action amounts to economic sabotage.

“When that is done, people will be discouraged from buying from these people that smuggled rice into the country. We need to take drastic measures against smugglers as well as those selling the products.

“Smuggling is taking a toll on rice value chain, the economy is in danger, if not well tackled, there will be job loss, criminality will increase and the entire value chain will collapse.”

The DG lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his giant stride in rice production, adding that there were only six Integrated Rice Mills in the country before 2015 and had risen to about 60 at present.

According to him, about N3.4trn has been invested in the enrire rice value chain production across the country.

He added that the gains made in the sub sector in the last few years were possible through the support and interventions of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said addressing this challenge of smuggling was paramount so that all this efforts, commitment and resources put in the rice value chain sub sector would not be a waste.

He noted that most of the mills in the country were now working at half capacity because there were no off-takers to buy the products they produced for Nigerian markets.

Ekwelem however appealed to Nigeria Customs Service to step up in manning borders to curb the activities of smugglers.