For Real? 50kg bag of rice now N8,000 in Ebonyi – CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that a 50 kg bag of Nigeria rice is now selling in Ebonyi for N8,000. This was disclosed in Bayelsa State by the Acting Director, Corporate Communication, CBN, Mr Isaac Okoroafor.

Speaking at a sensitization workshop for the CBN Anchor programme for farmers, he said:

“We should eat Nigerian rice provided for by the CBN Anchor Programme; 50kg of local rice is now N8,000 in Ebonyi. Already, the Abia Government has ordered rice from Ebonyi for Christmas.”

He said with the Anchor Borrowers Programme for the promotion of Agriculture, Nigeria is set to begin exportation of rice by 2017.

Okorafor said Kebbi had already harvested one million tons of rice, adding that Ebonyi’s harvest had outstripped the earmarked production for the year.

“The development is encouraging and by the end of 2017, we will not only meet our national demand which is between six and seven million tons but have surplus to export. 

“We must rid ourselves of eating foreign rice that has been stored for over nine years in Thailand, Vietnam and India. Nigerian rice is fresh and healthier."