Nigeria Tops Global List of Highest Rice-Importing Nations in 2024.
In 2024, Nigeria Leads in the Numbers of highest rice-importing countries in the world.
Years of local farming programs and border controls notwithstanding, in 2024, Nigeria has become the largest rice importer in the world surpassing such nations as China and the Philippines. The revelation which is based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, has brought back debates on whether Nigeria has policies of food self-sufficiency and is self-sufficient in what is on the ground.
“Nigeria is projected to import 2.1 million metric tonnes of rice in 2024, the highest globally, due to production shortfalls, inflation, and insecurity,”
— USDA Global Agricultural Information Network Report
Source: Daily Trust NG
What is the History?
Large imports: Nigeria has acquired large amount of rice imports; it is estimated to be 2.1 million metric tonnes even exceeding China which is a more populous country in the business.
The Reasons It Is occurring:
Heightening of insecurity in agricultural areas (particularly the North).
High costs of input- The costs of fertilizer, diesel and seeds are becoming unaffordable.
Large quantities of flooding and bad weather to get harvest.
Consumer Sorrow: The price of rice has escalated in the area and even though the importation of rice has been banned locally it is increasing in markets.
The reasons why it is an issue :
This trend does not portray a coherent image of the self-sufficiency of rice as advanced by the government:
CBN has invested billions in Anchor Borrowers Programme, but the returns have not lived up to the boasting.
Its porous land borders have continued to hinder local rice production activities as rice is smuggled in.
It brings quite doubts on the questionability of agricultural sustainability and the actual effects of government intervention.
What to Watch
Policy Response: Is the government going to recognize the gaps in the policies and rebalance?
Life of farmers: Will it be time to increase security and subsidizing inputs?
Impact on Consumer: What will be the implication to food inflation and the rate of hunger?
The position of the largest rice importer is not a pride of the country that has a lot of fertile land and is a country of farming potential. There is need to ensure that words translate to real action and not policy papers in case Nigeria should feed itself. This is to kick it back to the government.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?