President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, commissioned a large-scale integrated rice mill in Sheda, Kwali Area Council, Abuja, of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to boost local consumption and export.
Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, said other nine large-scale integrated rice mills are soon to be completed and commissioned across the country.
The large-scale integrated rice mill commissioned in Sheda was Federal Government’s partnership with Ocean Glory Commodities Limited, and the mill has a production capacity of four tonnes per hour.
He said: Commissioning the Large Scale Integrated Rice Mill, located here in Sheda, Kwali, FCT, as one of the 10 mills embarked upon by my Administration for the purpose of expanding domestic rice production and achieving self-sufficiency in the country.
“For the past eight years, this regime has intensively promoted and supported Agricultural development in the country through the Anchor Borrower Programme, the Fertilizer Initiative, Grain Aggregation Centres and Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone Programme.
“This is line with the Food Security’s component of this Government’s nine priorities. Indeed, as such, our agricultural development strategy has enabled the increased output recorded in critical arable and cash crops.
This accomplishment clearly demonstrates our commitment to addressing critical infrastructural projects and keeping with the ideals of the ‘Change Agenda’ to ensure prudence in the management of public resources, value for money considering the huge investments in this project.
“We have witnessed the rapid increase in domestic rice production from the incentive given to farmers and processors over this period as a resolution of leveraging our potentials, producing what we consume and patronize local made products.”
