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Nigeria: NDDC Rice Farm to Save Country $1.2bn Expenditure
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Vanguard (Lagos)
25 October 2007
Posted to the web 25 October 2007
Jimitota Onoyume
Port Harcourt
NIGER Delta Development Commission, NDDC says its rice farming would save the nation $ 1.2 billion it spends on importation of the farm produce. Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador Sam Edem who noted this said the initiative will also generate employment for the people.
Speaking with people of Mbiabet community, Akwa Ibom State over the misunderstanding that followed the proposed relocation of the NDDC Rice Processing Factory to Ibiaku Ntok Okpo, a border community in Ikono.
Edem appealed for calm and urged all to work together. Describing the Rice Mill as the catalyst that will fast- track the development need of the region, Edem assured the host communities of the multiple benefits they stand to reap from the rice project in the area.
"This project is a catalyst because it will create the pace to transform the economic landscape of this community, the Local Government and the state as a whole."
Also speaking on the occasion, the consultant handling the project, Chief Felix Idiga said but for the problem in the communities, arrangements had been concluded with the foreign technical partners from Thailand to start the bagging process of the rice project. "We believe we will start processing the rice within a short period. As of now, we have a lot of rice grains packed in the warehouse ready for processing and bagging." He assured.
He said that most of the rice farms across the nine NDDC states are being harvested right now, pointing out that given the 10 tons per hour capacity of the rice mill, it will run 16 hours per day when fully operational.
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He expressed optimism that the project will not only benefit the immediate community, but the country as a whole, adding that with adequate funding, in the next five years, Nigeria may not need to import rice."
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