Its Deputy Chairman, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi gave  this hint  in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

He stated that the Council was aware of the current high prices of rice, assuring Nigerians that rice would be made available at a cheaper rate.

According to the governor, the government is also aware of the activities of some individuals and groups bent on frustrating the new rice policy.

“The good news is that there is a lot of production in the country. All the Millers in Nigeria have enough paddy and farmers are producing and the harvest is coming in strong.

“We believe in addition to market forces, there are some people bent on manipulating the situation in order to exploit bigger revenue, bigger profits and some may even be doing so for the wrong reason.

”They want to truncate policy which is helping the Nigerian economy; which is helping Nigerian millers; which is helping the Nigerian farmers and the Nigerian population.

“We are taking steps to ensure that more rice is taken to markets where shortages can easily be created.

“There is enough production in the country and the National Food Security Council is focused on how to ensure that availability is restored all across the country so that prices will come down reflective of the cost of production,’’ he said.

Reacting to  reported loss of about N1 billion by Onion farmers in Kebbi State, Bagudu said the government would always respond to farmers’ predicaments promptly.

The governor, according to information scooped from NAN,  however, said that the assessment of the total loss by the farmers had not been completed by relevant agencies.

He disclosed that the federal government had approved N23billion for distribution to States affected by flood disaster this year.

“We have always responded to farmers’ issues or any trade group that has a misfortune, both the State and the Federal Government has been very active in helping.

“You may recall that recently, Mr President approved about N23 billion for states affected by flood which Kebbi is one of them, and this is in addition to our own resources that we mobilise to support our farmers.

“This year’s rainy season is unusual, as of last week there was rain and it’s unusual.

”For the onion farmers they have calculated that the rain will stop by September because when onion is growing there is a point at which it does not desire rainfall, now we have rainfall.

“I’m not sure of the N1 billion lost in terms of quantum because we have not done the assessment but we are always willing and ready to support all our producers especially when they are faced with unforeseen circumstances like this,’’ he said.

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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.

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‘‘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.

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