Anambra rice revolution on course, despite insecurity – Rice farmer

…as 50kg bag of rice sold at N115,000

Akai Egwuonwu, Managing Director of Anambra Rice Mill Limited, makers of Anambra Stine Rice, says the rice revolution in the State is still functioning efficiently, but insecurity has become worrisome to the farmers.

Egwuonwu commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the two former governors of the state, Peter Obi and Willie Obiano, who had made the initiative a reality.

He said that the Anambra rice revolution started by him under Peter Obi, became fully supported by Willie Obiano with the Stine Rice, our brand and Governor Soludo, had taken it over from there.

“You know agriculture is the highest employer of labour, no government can totally do without it. The governor have taken it over and doing well. When Obiano called us to a meeting and said he would like to synergize with us to produce a brand of Anambra rice, that synergy is what is the Anambra rice of today.

“Governor Soludo has equally keyed into investing in agriculture revolution in the state. Anambra rice have continued under Gov. Soludo government, we have done good quantity of rice for the state civil servants and others”, he said.

According to him, many farmers in the State had keyed into rice production, but insecurity affected actualisation of bumper production.

Egwuonwu told BusinessDay in Awka on Tuesday that in every nook and cranny of the State ” you now see people growing rice.

He said, “There are so many people going into rice processing of different levels, different types, some recycling, many indigenous farmers of have come home to start rice cultivation.

“Agricultural revolution in the State is much in progress. Go to Anambra South and North; in Ayamelum, Ogboji, Umunbo, Omorgho, Omor communities and rest of those areas, people have shown great interest to feed themselves and the nation with rice,

“At the Federal and State levels insecurity has been the greatest challenge, if the farmers fails to go to the farm, there will be no rice to process so that has affected us. In places like Ogboji in Orumba North of the State, and those clusters in Nigeria, insecurity have dealt a big blow on agriculture.

“Our capacity in Anambra is 4400 tons which is about 10,000 bags of 50kg per day, we are feeling bad about it, we get our paddy rice beyond the State up to the Northern parts of the Country.

“Insecurity have reduced us get our supply paddy rice which has made the price to skyrocket, rice is sold between N92,000 to N115,000 per a bag which ordinarily cost less than N75,000 to N70,000 for well processed rice of 59kg and 41kg.”