Five additional trailer-load of Lake Rice being promoted by Lagos and Kebbi States are expected to arrive Lagos today from Kebbi.
The trailers, BusinesssDay was told, set sail from Kebbi on Tuesday morning (yesterday) and everything being equal will arrive in Lagos today before they will be redistributed to the centres created by the state government to facilitate the sales to members of the public.
Toyin Suara, the state commissioner for agriculture, who was still in Kebbi yesterday to monitor the packaging and shipment of the rice, said more would also be coming in before the New Year.
According to Suara, from the previous consignments received before the Christmas celebration, two trailers were sent to each of the sale centres. There are a total of 15 centres (five in each of the three senatorial districts of the state where the rice is being sold at the rate of N12,000, N6,000 and N2,500 for 50kg, 25kg and 10kg, respectively).
Checks at some of sale centres on Tuesday showed that residents eager to buy the ‘cheap’ rice were still visiting the centres. One of the prospective buyers at Lagos Agricultural Inputs Supply Authority (LAISA), Ojo, said she was attracted by the price.
“A 50kg bag of any quality rice sells for N20,000, but the Lake Rice is being sold N12,000. That is N8,000 off, which is enough for other things at home this festive season,” said the woman who identified herself as Adeola.
The supply of the bagged Lake Rice from Kebbi is a stopgap arrangement pending the completion of the rice-processing mill at Imota, Ikorodu. Lagos State is embarking on the upgrade of the 2.5 metric tons mill to 10 metric tons per hour to mill rice paddy to be supplied from Kebbi in line with the agreement signed by the two states in March 2016, towards increased local food production.
The rice-processing mill, according to Suara, will be delivered by the second quarter of 2017. “The contractors are on ground working,” the commissioner said.
Suarau, who assured the residents of the continuous availability of the rice at the designated retail outlets, said the state government was working assiduously to ensure adequate supply.
“From Wednesday, December 28, 2016 (today) all designated retail outlets and centres will have enough supply of the product to meet the growing demands of residents,” he said.
JOSHUA BASSEY
