Fidelia Okafor.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, says the Federal Government is doing everything possible to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production before the end of 2018.

Ogbeh said this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

He said that there were strong indications that Nigeria would become self-sufficient in rice production by 2018 because many farmers had rediscovered their potential in rice farming.

“First, let me congratulate Nigerians for responding positively to the made-in-Nigeria rice during the last Christmas period.

“Nigerians have discovered that Nigerian rice is better than rice from Thailand and Vietnam, which are the largest producers of rice in the world.

“We are in a rivalry with the two countries for now and we will soon overtake them in rice production and take over the market from them.

“People in Thailand do not eat parboiled rice but white rice. So, all the parboiled rice they produce is exported to Nigeria.

“Nigeria is the biggest consumer of imported rice in the world. 

“By so doing, we are transferring our jobs to these two countries and leaving our teeming youths angry and hungry,’’ he said.