Nigerian rice is competitive — Gov Bagudu

The Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, has said the rice produced in Nigeria can compete favourably with its foreign counterpart in the global market.

The governor, who said this during a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abuja, noted that the bad rice which had infiltrated the nation’s economy is as a result of sabotage to discredit the Nigerian farmers.

“What we have discovered over the last few months is that Nigerian rice is competitive. Except is somebody is buying bad rice somewhere else or rice which has been given to him to dump on our country so that our farmers cannot produce. We don’t see how possible someone can import rice and sell it lower than Nigerian farmers are able to produce today,” he said.

Speaking further on the rice production in Kebbi state, the governor said that the state is aiming at feeding West Africa, thereby creating wealth for farmers in the state.