We ‘ll end rice import before 2015 – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, Tuesday, vowed to end importation of rice before the end of his tenure in 2015, saying the attainment of self-sufficiency in rice production by Nigeria was a top priority of hisadministration.
Speaking at a meeting with President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, Jonathan said domestic self-sufficiency in rice production was one of the major assignments he had given to the newMinister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.
Jonathan said: “Before we leave office in 2015, we must stop the importation of rice. There is no reason why Nigeria should be importing rice. We have all that is needed to grow enough for domestic consumption and have a surplus we can export to other countries.”