Rice importation: Okada riders operates new route in Katsina

NaijaAgroNet:

Although the Federal Government of Nigeria banned the importation of foreign rice into the country,  there is a new route of importing foreign rice into the country through the Okada riders, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This route, source making rounds online showed are heavily protected with over 100 motorcycle riders, also known as okada riders carrying across from Niger Republic some bags of rice.

Some Nigeria have equally condemned the opening of the northern borders for rice importation with motorcycle, while in the south, especially via Lagos border with Contonou, Benin Republic borders are closed.

“Now they opened Niger Republic border and have been importing Rice from the Northern borders and have it repackaged,” source said.

Other concerned Nigerian also disclosed that the long queue of Motorcyclists transporting Rice to Kastina State, its evident that in a day, some six Trailer loads are being offloaded every day.

“One Nigeria. With two different laws. Rice importation is banned in the south and free duty in the north,” our source decried.

Further, some source claimed that as at November 2017, some of these bags of rice are brought in and sold for N7,000 in the north, while

 “It was easy to enter from Katsina but here in the South you see Customs Officers raiding shops and killing innocent people all in the name of attacking smugglers.  This is unfair,” our source lamented.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Okada riders allegedly  transporting foreign rice from Niger Republic to Katsina State in Nigeria.

1,500 agric-experts route for AGRF 2016 in Nairobi

NaijaAgroNet:

The President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Dr. Mrs. Agnes Kalibata has disclosed that the 2016 edition of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), which kicked off in Nairobi, Kenyan capital, attracted in excess of 1,500 agriculture experts from over 40 countries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Making this disclosure at Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi at a sideline event on Monday, Dr. Kalibata said this figure includes Heads of State and high level officials among others.

Kalibata, who was joined s the media chat by the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary at Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Hon. Willy Bett, General Manager of Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), Mrs. Melisa Wood, Managing Director for Africa at Rockefeller foundation, Mr. Mamadou Biteye, Director, Agriculture and Environment at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Dr. Dominuque Charron, told NaijaAgroNet that the forum will provide African leaders to opportunity to deliver core new investments for agriculture on the continent.

She also affirmed that Kenya the forum is expected to bring undisclosed hundreds of millions of dollars in new support for African farmers and agribusinesses while unveiling winner of prestigious new Africa Food Prize as part of the agenda.

For Mamadou Biteye of Rockfeller noted that AGRA was founded through partnership between AGRA, Rockefeller, Bill and Melinda Gate, stressing they are very proud to be associated with AGRF and AGRA, especially as it celebrates 10 years.

The Kenyan’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Hon. Willy Bett assured that Kenya is the appropriate venue for this historic gathering because farming and food production are the lifeblood of the Kenyan economy.

“We want to set an example that others can follow. We are committed to pushing through the policy and financial reforms that can make farming and other agriculture businesses an economically and environmentally sustainable way of life,” he said.

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi/GEE
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