Border Closure: Nigerians now eat fresh, healthy rice — RIFAN
by Bankole
… Says Taraba Has Potential To Feed West Africa
By Femi Bolaji
Following the closure of the country’s land borders to curtail excesses of smugglers and other illegal activities, the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, has declared that most Nigerians now eat fresh and healthy rice in their homes.
National President of RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo, who spoke Monday in Jalingo, explained that locally produced rice has more health benefit than those bagged for years and then smuggled into the country.
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According to him, “Nigerians today are eating fresh and healthy rice instead of those smuggled into the country.
“We now consume fresh rice from the farm to the mill, and from the mill straight to the market. ”
He projected that the land borders closure would eventually become a gold mine for the country and the younger generation.
He attributed this to the gains made since the Federal Government took the decision, and urged Nigerians to support the initiative.
He said, ” the decision to shut our land borders by our president is very painful but had to be made as a patriotic Nigerian and lover of the younger generation.
“The younger generation is the ones to benefit from this and that is why I urge everyone to support this initiative, so as to lay a solid foundation that this country can comfortably rely upon.”
Goronyo further described Taraba as ‘Nigeria’s rice house.’
According to him, ” Taraba has the potential to feed entire West Africa including Nigeria with rice if properly utilized.
“This is why I decided to visit Taraba after RIFAN met with the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on the commencement of 2019 dry season farming on Saturday so that we can start sending inputs to our farmers here.”