Nigerians eating 10-year-old rice – Investigation

No imported rice consumed in the country is less than 10 years old post harvest, investigation has revealed.

According to local and international sources in the fields of agriculture, commodity export and food technology captured in a survey carried out by our correspondent, the bulk of rice imported into the country for consumption has spent at least 10 years in the silos of the exporting nations.

The major rice exporting countries to Nigeria are Thailand, Vietnam, India and Brazil.

It was gathered that the decision of the countries to keep their rice for at least 10 years before shipping the commodity to Nigeria and other African countries was born out of the need for self preservation in the face of a probable global food crisis that could be triggered by a number of factors, including war, famine and other natural disasters.

According to sources, the policy has dictated the volume and time of rice exports to Nigeria and other African countries for years.

The Managing Director, Notore Chemical Industries Limited, a leading indigenous integrated agricultural and fertiliser producing company, Mr. Onajite Koloko, confirmed this to our correspondent.

He said in view of the nutritional and health implications of eating rice that had been kept in foreign storage systems for not less than 10 years before importation, there was an urgent need for all stakeholders to support the development and growth of locally cultivated rice.

Koloko called for a shift in orientation from being dependants on imported rice to locally cultivated one.

He also urged the government to give the necessary backing to local farmers to achieve the target of self sufficiency in rice production.

The Notore boss said, “The development is sad that Nigerians eat 10-year-old rice on a continual basis. Most of the rice imported into the country must have been kept in storage facilities of exporting countries for not less than 10 years before releasing it into the Nigerian market and other African countries.

“It is regrettable that we are in this situation. This is a key area we should develop to save ourselves from the economic losses and possible health hazards of eating stale rice.”

Source 

The Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State, Mr. Segun Atho, also confirmed that most of the imported rice in the country had been stored for a minimum of 10 years.