Abia State Will Begin Rice Exportation Soon— Official

The Abia state government on Sunday declared that its rice plants in some  part of the states Local Government Area are enough for local consumption and exportation.

 

The Local Government where the rice plants are situated include  : Acha in Isuikwuato, Ofeme in Umuahia North and Uzuakoli in Bende LGAs are enough for local consumption and exportation.

 

The state government said it has also commenced the distribution of rice seedlings to farmers in the aforementioned regions in furtherance to boost production of the commodity in large quantity.

 

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief John Okiyi Kalu who disclosed while fielding questions from newsmen in Umuahia , said that the plant mills have been equipped with state of the art technological equipment adding that Abia Rice is known in local parlance as “Osikapa Abia” will be ready for import soon.

 

According to him, the modern technological facilities would  t make rice production  stone-free and nutritious.

 

He added that the Abia rice would be internationally accepted because it meets the modern method of producing such grain.

 

The Information Commissioner further stated that the critics of the government were indeed lampooning the government because they were not aware of the rigorous process of rice production; a situation that makes them assumed that the ones produced in Abia were imported.

 

The Commissioner maintained that the strengthening of Abia Marketing Agency was to galvanize the agency to export Abia produced goods which Abia Rice is one in large quantity.

 

He further noted that some of the access roads leading to the plant mills including the ones to other rice farmers are being rehabilitated.

 

Kalu maintained that because of its increase in the mills, point of sales for the product has been opened in Aba, Umuahia and Isuikwuato, recalling that on assumption of office in May 2015, the Okezie Ikpeazu administration commenced what he called “the massive production the grain in parts of the state.

 

This, he added, informed the reason the governor directed many years ago that only locally produced rice should be served in government-organized ceremonies anywhere in the state.