Rice scarcity: RIFAN to mobilise 1m rice farmers

In a move to mitigate the looming danger of rice scarcity and the continued escalation in its price, the federal government has directed the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) to mobilise 1 million farmers capable of producing 5 million metric tonnes of rice in this year’s dry season farming.

The National President of RIFAN, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, who was part of Kebbi State governor’s entourage for on-thespot assessment of flood destruction on farmlands, made this known yesterday in Kebbi State.

Goronyo said the federal government support for this year’s dry season farming would be coming through Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and assured the flood victims that officials from the CBN would soon arrive in Kebbi State for assessment with a view to providing immediate intervention.

“The CBN governor had directed RIFAN to mobilise 1 million farmers that can quickly produce five million metric tonnes during the dry farming season commencing in November 2020, for support,” he said.

In his remark after visiting the sites of the flood disaster in Augie, Argungu, and Arewa local government areas, the Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, expressed optimism that the country would surmount the problem.

He assured the farmers that the federal government, with the help of some of its institutions, like the CBN and other organisations, would respond to the problem effectively.

“The president would soon summon a meeting of the National Food Security Council and the problem of flood disasters, among others, would be discussed,” he said.