Some rice farmers have appealed to the Federal Government to provide them with affordable loan facilities to boost production to reduce the price of the commodity as they described the closure as a welcome development.
The price of a 50kg bag of local rice, which sold for N14,000 before the closure of the country’s borders on Aug. 19, now goes for N22,000.
The farmers, who called for the loans in separate interviews with newsmen in Abuja on Monday, noted that the current price of rice was too high.
A Benue-based rice farmer, Mr Egio Boniface, said there was the need for government to provide loans to enable them to increase their productivity.
Boniface faulted government’s failure to carry rice farmers along before the border closure, adding that the increase in the price of the commodity should be expected.
“Before we can address the increase in the price of rice, farmers need to have prepared to boost their production through the cultivation of high-yield species.
“We are expecting that government will give us loans to secure inputs on time to produce high-yield rice to reduce the cost for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We need the help of the government to help the rice farmers to breakeven,” he said.
