FG acquires 110 rice mills for farmers

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has  said the federal government is strengthening the production of quality rice in the country with the procurement of small and medium scale mills.

 Chief Ogbeh stated that 110 various capacities of rice mills recently procured for farmers could mill 10 to 100 metric tonnes per day, adding that they would be distributed to clusters of farmers to boost rice production and milling capacity in the country.

The minister, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, said the federal government was also strengthening the capacity of farmers to achieve the goal of green alternative.

The minister reaffirmed the country’s commitment to exporting rice by 2017 stressing that the mills would enable smallholder farmers to process quality rice in the country.

Ogbeh also stated that the 30,000 slots allocated to the ministry under the N-power scheme of the federal government would be trained through the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) as agricultural extension workers.

He said those allotted would serve in their respective local government areas where they were expected to build the capacity of farmers for the next two years.