u I INDUJSTRIES
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 28, lO l l
Rice farmers condemn FG for N46.6bn import order .n Layl Ad!!lnye
!.-haVI! condemned the FederlII Goo..Iemment's decision to .spend N46 6b'l on rice importation ahead 01 a major t.lus1im festivnl BeI-il Kahit TIle amount ~ts Ule value ol fIVe Million bags of rice aIre!Idy orden!d by the gD\oemment frJm fOTeign countries., .....Nch lU ~ bound to am..ll N'lQ3?n SEa !nls in the next one month The fam~ uoo~!he aegis r:J. the Rice Fermm. JIexiation of ~ sad !he oontinued ~ of rn by Ihe !PWf!~ ....om .ltiIheticrII 10 lis dedared p;., h ~ ~il IhIIC'JUIlIJ}I. The body sakJ Ihe Iv'JI! M1OJr1; beil19 spenI m rice rnp0l1zIlion n!o the CXllIlIJy '-'AI;; enD..I!illo
""""""" , ... ,.......,....
mue~~dlhe
had the Ioa.r; l!I'ld d~ t) gOoN IoaII pcdJcw capac:iIy. The IXI!ition of the ~tIon \\las Plf5'I\ted by the Chairman, l.ao:lCI5 chapler or RlFA, I>Ir ~n Athol, in an exclusive Inletvio!W with our rormpondent in lagos 011
Wcdmvesc.lM.o.
He ~lted til'll the huge
arnwnt bting \'.'a!ited
011
rice
wnportation perent liaRy muld na..'e been invesk!d in \ocaI rice Jiantation, adding tlk~ doing so wouk:l no! only ensure that N'grna became R1f-suffidmt in ri:e production but would aI.'lo hE!Ip II'l con!0VII'lg the nation's
MUJ'e:lIfned Iorei!J
Nl50.cm en:! N2OO,COO. he will w\tiviJle 1I het:fano 01 rn. v.路hidl in tum wiD bring one icJnn! 01 ricJ!o as ~ieId. Imagine 00.... many bet\I,.f tr'I
, OCAL ri~; - fr3mers
1'I!.WI'\IeS,
According 10 him, a farmer ooIy lequi !5 bet\o.ftI"I N1SO,(XX) ard N~,(XX) in
Iorm of loans 10 embark on enlarged ria! larmo g
He w i, "Con:dering the staggering amoun t IrlI.IOIved. N44 6bn czn tl'lllSiorm the enlIft! rice IIIImb'9 scheme In N'tg!ria. esped~ among the pea5Mt famle'""5. \vho are the people that lei IIy feed Llle' country, If 11 ~rr ~ is given
f3fTl'ler.i can pnxiut:'! \\.ith N44.6bn!N'1geril!15V.IesIAfriccls!aJyeS pn::x;fua!r 01 rice. 1umirY;;j in an
!ormes of ricE our
lM?Iageof32millionionnesof pad.lyriceforlhe(:0Sl.rrve~:eal'S.
Rice ruItiv;mon is ~ in the counby. e,.dendng fran \he
northem 10 SCJJthem ZCfIe5 ""Ih mcS ricE QIOoYfl in the ~
Mel nliddle belt of the CJJUflIly. BJI daneslic production ill a:JrIStr.lJned by b.v ~ and aop ~t tedriques
by 91W scae
v.-eII
bdc 01
M
flm1m. as
weier moIroI
Iedv'tqJes
Thefam1ers' body, ho.veYeT, blamed the nation's oo.-.Tltum in nee production on \he ~ Ga.oemmenfs polk.)! inconsbtency It noted thai with the b,xk..vard integration policy on rice p.it in place In 2002, local rice farmers would have been emp:lWl!l'eCl enough 10 pruduce ria!: thai lvould meet national demand Alho saki the faiure of subsequent <rlninisbatiom in N'1QI!'ria to Iob.v up on the 2Ill2 Rice Scheme led to the negIed of local rice deYeIopmenI.
Nigeria, Denmark trade volume hits $lbn Ime Umore n
T
HE
NigeriilrH)anish
Chamber- 01 Commerce, Industry and Agriculture tw said Ihal the trnde volume bel\WE'n Nigeria and DnnaJ k has hit Sibn In 1I statement OIl Tuesday. the fuosidenL I'tlgE!riarl-Danish Chamber of Commem:1:, Industry and A.grku ltuJe, Mr. Samuel Talabi. slated th<!t th e trade between Nigeria and 00na1k had gro<M\ du,," to the mutual relationship existing between the the countries. TaJabi, who spoke during theinvestitureofMr,Ben Adako as U-.e incoming president 01 the chamber. ~ thctt Ule bade bloI\..~ Nigem and Denmark ues hJge. adding thai aI the IIrlrooIorjes bcement pn::d..Jc:6ro were &om Dmnwk !-Ie sIiW1d that t'igeria rrMt slK'IIl! 10 adlE'.oe economic !JOMh and Ita. il ....'OOkI g:l1lD1g way 10 10m- cordial reIa&:n<fjp and forge !tn;rg ~ bade beIv.wn the t....o Ct1rilIs. He added that the ma]OI' function of the chamber was 10 prolect the tnterest
Nigerians and Danish whmby the Jmpro..remenl and development of mmmerce and industry between the 1'0\.'0 countries could be encouraged and proteded. Adako said, Our objectM!s remain critical 10 us and we :r.haII henceforth forge ahead so Iesponsib.'y and strategically to of
make a difference More than ever, this is important In order to tap from the good relations that have existed beno.'eef1 NigeJia and Denmark.. M
He
said Denmark continued to have relative \NOI1d class competencies in ~, life, sciences. shipping
01 foods and drinks. Hesald the relallVe business opportunities had expanded over the years which Nigeria could lap into lor real busaness adv;mtage, ptIrticuIrulo,.' In such areas i!IS agriculture, fISheries and soentiflC concml:5 No doubt the emerging realities 01 OUt naOOn's ecooomy \\Illh ils attendance M
foreign perlicipalion needs n'IlIkes such !clarions Ixtwftn our "'YO ooonbies vital and I think this is to OIJr mutual advi'lntage,M Adakosaid.
Stakeholders forge alliance over development SMEs products' standardisation:
~~ Ad~ l ~
T
H E Nigerian 1!55OCia1i0n
ofChamUer5of'..ommert'2,
lndusby,Mll1esanc Agricullt.lnl: has p.ntr1i!lYd llle' St.. ndards Organstation 01 Nl9er\a and the Comrl'lOl'l'-Vealth S!Ot'Itlliat in Nigeria 10 boost 5maII and Medium EnlerpfI!II's products devekJpment in th<' country TIle move VJ~ coming on the heels of the SMES' persisiteml outoy on alleged M~t by regukllory agencies. TIle cru , of Sl'-l Es' agitation is tha.! they \Yere being faced wilh too many dWlenges that had been making thelf opu lltion and products uncompl'liIive. At the inauguration 01 the new standardisation platform in lagos OIl Tl esday, the NaIionalPi l!sidenLNACCtMA.
Dr, Hetbett Ajayi,
explained that ~ \WI'e aitiallio any deveioping economy in il$ quesl for ecDOOInicgTO\vlh Ajayi, at a staklohokJers' 10000m oryanlSed to kick, start the standardisation ~ among SMa. said thai the aim of the
meeting underscon!d SON's commitment to e11!5Urmg !hat ~ tandards weIR maintained, noting thai manufacturers weIR part and ~ 01 the development pmces.s of the redor. He said the fonml would introduce SMEs 10 1M ISO 9001 and ISO 22(XJ) standards,as ..... ell as enoouage more SMEs to begin the standard journey.
He, hoI\'eIIef, noted tnat this \llould have 10 51art \vilh the
trainingol, l1tlellst, lSOSMEs u~!he pilot project. 'As you lire NllIware, the gIobaJ economy Is grad~1y ~ and N'1QIi!ria rrusl net I<1g behnhn the ~taI p1X'e55. Theenormouseconorn
~ illhs co..nry has net been tapped. thus the neal for us 10 !JON in line ....ih the ~ economic dIM!IoprnenIaI pnXC!IS. he !<lid. M
On his pcwt. SON's 1路1ead cl htemalional Scandiwds and SMEs, ~1r Robert Oayi, said tile' demon to develop stlndards \~ithin'!l'TlalbusinessesinNigeria 1'-'i\S borne out 0/ the desire to ensure \he com~ of their pnXIuds nationally and
Intemation!lly. He said tile introduction ci standards to SME~ would have job. aeating andE'COl'lOfTlic:impads.