Farmers explain the cause of the increase in rice prices

Members of the Association of Rice Farmers have blamed the continued increase in the price of staple food in Nigeria for the activities of farmers and non -moral intermediaries in this sector.

The leaders of rice farmers made this known in a separate interview with the Nigerian news agency on Sunday at Lagos.

Deputy Chairman of the Association of all Nigerian farmers, Mr. Sakin Agbayewa, said that fluctuations that were consistent in rice prices could be associated with human manipulation regardless of government efforts.

“Regarding the high price of rice, I think we took a step forward and five steps backward.

“A few months ago, the Federal government came out with neglect, giving several small neglect companies to import rice to the country to destroy the price. And meanwhile they were on, did they mobilize local farmers? There lies the problem.

“Although some farmers are empowered by the federal government with a reduction in 75 percent in production costs, others are given fertilizer for free.

“Now, the question is this. Local farmers are empowered, are they really processing something?

“The main problem is that the increase in rice prices can be associated with cartels that want to frustrate government efforts,” Agbayewa said.

According to him, when neglect was on, they really imported rice to the country, and the price dropped, but when they imported, they were also warehousing.

“Now that the import of imports is complete, the cartel creates artificial scarcity.

“Also, some farmers who process local rice – not because we are not enough to produce, but some farmers only use deficiencies in the system.

“And with this shortage, they are now re -packing local rice in foreign bags for selfish reasons. They do this to be sold at high costs because they know that Nigerians have high tastes for foreign matters.

“There is a high level of indecisive and dishonesty among our people. Some farmers who are immoral, intermediaries, and even retailers can be blamed for the current increase,” he said.

On his party, the Chairperson of the Nigerian rice farmers’ Association, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Raphael Hunsa, asked the government to relate with native farmers for the price of rice down.

“The price of rice will continue to rise if the government fails to support local rice farmers.

“Prices will be higher and higher because local rice cultivation is very different from importing rice.

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“And what we can do to solve the problem of consistent price increases in rice is to support rice farmers in the right way.

“Even though the government is trying, and we don’t argue with that, they must let their intervention up to the right hand.

“They must invite local rice farmers to the round table for the formulation of appropriate policies and programs for this sector.

“So, we know our problem, they must ask us and we will apply for our problems. Now the government is abandoned to solve problems through normal channels. And with that, the price of rice will go down,” Hunsa said.

He also urged local rice farmers not to sell interventions provided by the government, but must use it for the growth of this sector.

“We will also use this opportunity to tell our farmers that any input given to them should not be sold.

“They should not sell it. They are given input for continuity.

“Continuity is what the government does. So let the government keep trying as best as possible to help farmers and not budge,” said Boss Rifan.

On his party, a rice trader in Oja Oba Market in the Agege area in the state, Mustafa Aliu, said the price of rice rose a few weeks ago because of the end of neglect of rice imports.

“The current price of rice between N70,000 and N80,000 for a 50 kg bag. We can only sell it by the way we buy it.

“There is no foreign rice among my products. I only sell local rice, and it’s clean and healthy,” Aliu said.

Also, other traders, in the Iddo area in the state, Temitayo Hakeem, said, “With the high demand for foreign rice, we will continue to witness the increase in the price of this rice.

“There are rice bags that are still sold as high as N145,000 or N150,000, depending on the choice of consumers,” said Hakeem.

Nan reports that 50 kg of local rice bags are currently sold between N65,000 and N80,000, depending on the species.

The same amount was sold between N45,000 and N55,000 two months ago.