NAN-AE-17
Agriculture
By Mohammed Mamman
Damaturu, Jan.24, 2017 (NAN) Sen. Alkali Jajere said the 2016 agricultural experiment in rice production had revealed Nigeria’s capacity to exploit its rich agricultural potential for economic diversification and food security.
Jajere stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Tuesday.
“The mass production of rice in Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba and Ebonyi states among others, has substantially met the needs of the country,” he said.
Jajere, who represented Yobe South Senatorial District between 2011 and 2015, said engagement of Farmers in rice production had closed the gap created by non-importation of foreign rice.
“Nigeria has saved a lot of foreign exchange through the ban on rice importation last year which would be channeled into other areas of infrastructural development.
“There is the need to build on this success.Nigeria needs to build on the success recorded to guarantee the food needs of the country and to export the excess to earn foreign exchange.
“Nigeria has the potential to replicate these achievements in other food and cash crops such as maize, beans, cocoa, palm oil, ginger,rubber soya beans and sesame seeds,” he said.
The former legislator said the agricultural sector provided realistic potential for diversification of the economy.
He urged Nigerians to support the agricultural revolution of the Buhari administration to improve the economy and guarantee food security.(NAN)
MM/OSA/AMY
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Abdullahi Yusuf
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