Gov. Umar Bago of Niger State has cleared up misconceptions in regards to the state’s place on the large procurement of meals gadgets from the state to different states within the nation.
The governor mentioned this on Monday whereas chatting with journalists in Abuja.
Bago mentioned he was solely halting bulk purchases of meals from native markets to neighboring states, including that meals merchandise bought from state markets weren’t stopped from being taken to different states.
He mentioned the choice was to manage the extent of gross sales and be sure that individuals are not exploited by smugglers.
“Now we have markets within the native authorities headquarters; we’ve got native markets within the bushes; now these collectors, saboteurs and even smugglers go to those villages.
“It could actually take two to a few days earlier than a farmer provides you a bag of rice as a result of it’s completed manually. Think about arresting 200 vehicles carrying rice crossing the Republic of Benin from Niger State.
“You may think about what it does to the market. Our factories listed below are ravenous; folks take our rice fields to the Republic of Benin, mill it, carry it again and exploit our folks.”
He highlighted the challenges confronted by native farmers, together with exploitation by middlemen and smugglers who carry agricultural merchandise to worldwide markets.
Bago burdened the significance of defending native industries and guaranteeing honest market costs for farmers.
“So what we did was say, let's management the extent of gross sales. We all know how a lot you want as a farmer; you don't need to promote all the things in a single day.
“Why does somebody lure you with extra cash, with out caring in regards to the worth?” he requested.
He additional highlighted the detrimental impression of uncontrolled meals exports on the native financial system, including that Niger State factories have been affected by the exploitation of agricultural commodities.
“A bag we promote for N40,000, somebody gives you N100,000; Clearly you understand there’s a downside, so the ban targets meals inflation within the state.
He mentioned his efforts have been yielding outcomes and it was essential to step up as a rustic, whereas reiterating his dedication to assist native farmers and guarantee meals safety within the nation.
The Governor mentioned there’s a want for concerted efforts to deal with challenges within the agricultural sector and promote sustainable improvement.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) studies that the governor, whereas reacting to the response of residents to the financial hardship, halted the large-scale buy of meals from native markets.
Nevertheless, some studies claimed that Bago banned the sale and buy of meals in bulk from Niger State to different Nigerian states.
