According to report reaching oyogist.com, the Benue state Governor, Samuel Orton has pleaded with the federal government to sustain the ban placed on the importation of foreign rice in the country.
Governor Ortom made this known during the courtesy visit of the Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to the Benue state Government House.
Ortom stated that Benue state being the ‘food basket of the nation’ has so much benefitted from the important ban which was placed on foreign rice as the local rice production of the state had received a massive boost.
“The ban on rice importation remains a major milestone in the development of agriculture in Benue. We want to appeal to the Federal Government to continue with the policy.”
“There might be hardship for a little while but farmers are smiling to their banks now compared to what used to happen. I have been into farming since 1984 and I am a living witness to this development.”
“Before now, when we cultivate rice, we were not able to sell even the cost of production but today things have changed. Just harvest, the market is already there,” Governor Ortom stated.
Gov. Ortom also used the medium to thank the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari for his approach in fighting security challenges in the country.
