NIGERIA: Kebbi Produces 3.6m Tonnes of Nation’s Rice

THE Permanent Secretary,  Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Muhammad Shehu, has disclosed that the state produced 3.6 million tonnes of rice out of the 5.7 million tonnes of the nation’s annual requirement.

Shehu disclosed this on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi

According to him, “Kebbi State produces 3.6 million tonnes of rice out of the nation’s food requirement of 5.7 million tonnes annually.

‘‘That is what made the state a leading producer of rice in the country”.

Shehu further hinted that the feat was made possible through the efforts of over 70 per cent of youths and women, who benefited from the rice value chain programme of the state government.

‘‘Over 70 per cent people, especially youths and women, gained employment in various rice value chains in the state, and they made the rice production a dream come true and realistic,’’ he added.

The permanent secretary stressed that rice production had tremendously improved the status of the farmers and raised the living standard of small-scale farmers.

Shehu continued, ” Our farmers are now out of poverty level to richness because, in Kebbi rice production is now a business not subsistence issue”.

He lauded the efforts of President Mohammadu Buhari and Gov. Atiku Bagudu in ensuring the revival of agriculture through various intervention programmes to farmers in the state.