The Federal Government has announced that it is targetting to produce locally 30million metric tonnes of rice by 2030.

At the launch of the National Rice Development Strategy II (NRDS II, 2020-2030) and the Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP) SRP-Nigeria in Abuja, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, Competitive Africa Rice Platform (CARP)/Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development(FMARD) Focal Person, said Nigeria is currently producing over 15 million metric tonnes of rice.

He said Nigeria has the potential to attain self-sufficiency in rice production within the targeted period.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, said the Federal Government was committed to the promotion of agricultural sector in order to realise its potential of achieving food and nutrition security for Nigeria”s teeming population.

He explained that the rice value chain has been identified as being strategic to achieving the lofty objective of food and nutritional security.

He recalled that the NRDS I which was used to develop the Rice Transformation Agenda under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda and Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) served as a catalyst for the commencement of the Rice revolution in the country.

The minister noted its implementation began with the adoption of a Value Chain system as a holistic approach to transform the rice sector in Nigeria, adding that this initiative has helped the Government to provide enablers and support to Rice production, processing and marketing end to end.

“It encouraged a private sector-driven agriculture that started in 2011 as an adopted strategy of the Federal Government to reduce the huge import bill by accelerating paddy production, improve processing quality and promoting consumption of home grown rice,” he said.

The significant success recorded in the implementation of NRDS 1, he said in 2020 , the National paddy production rose significantly  towards the rice self-sufficiency.

He said:”NRDS I was reviewed to give rise to the formulation of a new NRDS document in 2021.

“The NRDS II document is a ten-year plan which seeks to provide direction for the development of the rice sub-sector to achieve government’s goals of self-sufficiency in rice production, food and nutrition security, employment creation and production of surplus for export.

“The document was adopted at the 4th National Council of Agriculture (NCA) which was held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja in 2021 by all the stakeholders with support from Competitive Africa Rice Platform (CARP).

“CARP formerly known as Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is dedicated to the productivity and sustainability of the Rice industry with two main objectives which are to ensure the competitiveness of Nigerian Rice and sustainability of the Nigeria rice sector. The Competitive African Rice Platform CARP (SRP)-Nigeria is a multi-stakeholders’ platform set up to advocate policies and drive transformational changes in standard practices in the rice sector.”