Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet
Dr Kenneth Nwosu, the former
Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike,
Abia, said Nigeria loses more than 260 billion dollars annually on rice
importation, reports NAN.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that Nwosu made this statement while answering questions
from members of the Abia House of Assembly during his screening as a
commissioner nominee.
He disclosed
that presently “Nigeria import more than 5.3 metric tonnes of rice from
Thailand annually and that amounts to over $260 billion. As a nation, we have
the potential to even produce more than 100 metric tonnes of rice as well as
other commodities because our land is fertile and can grow a lot of things.”
He,
therefore,
advised the state
government to key into agricultural policies of the Federal Government to boost
food production in the state, while the youths should be engaged in the
agriculture sector to check insecurity and unemployment problems.
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology