Kwara residents decry scarcity of imported rice
NEWS DIGEST – Some residents of Kwara have lamented the scarcity and the increase in price of imported rice.
In the last one week, the supply of this staple to market has been reduced as a result of the closure of the country’s border against the importation of Rice. A 50kg bag of imported rice is now sold for 17,000 naira as against the 11,000 Naira price three weeks ago.
In an interview with the News Digest, traders and consumer in the state have expressed their displeasure as regards the new development.
Ahmed Muiz, a store keeper at Alhamdulilahi Food store in Omu-Aran, Irepodun local government, explained that due to the cut in the supply of imported rice, the few bags left in the store will be sold for 18,000 Naira.
“They don’t supply us any longer. The few ones we have here were smuggled to the country.” He explained.
A consumer in Offa local government, Omolara Bamidele, stated her dislike for the locally produced rice. She buttressed that the imported rice is the best for cooking and with less starch, which isn’t available in some stores recently.
“I regretted cooking the local rice during the Easter celebration. My Family didn’t enjoy because there was too much starch in it. Local rice is not good for any variety. Be it Jollof rice or Fried rice.” She stated.
Another consumer, Olufunsho Samuel, who resides in Ilorin also made known his preference for the imported product. He explained that it is being sold sold for 17,000 Naira in his area, which he cannot afford.
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“I’m not happy eating the local rice because of the taste. There is this awkward taste that it produces.” He said.
However. the federal government has raised alarm over the unhealthy status of smuggled imported rice being sold in Nigeria and has warned Nigerians against its consumption.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who spoke at a media briefing in Lagos asserted that the government could not guarantee the healthy status of the rice having spent months on the high seas and warehouses.
He then urged Nigerians to complement the efforts of the government by consuming only locally-grown and processed rice which he said “is fresher, tastier and healthier’’.
“We don’t know where or how imported rice is made or how old it is? It is reported that most of the rice dumped on us are old and probably rejected.” He stated.
“Unhealthy foods are dangerous to health. So let’s eat what we can vouch for,’’ He added.
According to the minister, the Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), he said that more than two million metric tonnes (MT) of parboiled rice was smuggled into Nigeria in 2017 as provided in their analysis.
Mohammed said that smuggled rice was primarily sourced from Thailand and India and came into Nigeria
“Most of the parboiled rice imported by Benin eventually lands in Nigeria through smuggling,’’ he said.
The minister said that smuggled rice costs between N11,000 and N13,000 per 50kg bag, while Nigerian processed rice sells for between N14,500 and N15,000 per 50kg bag
He assured that the government would work on bringing down the price of the local rice so as to encourage its consumption.
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