Why we banned foreign rice in Ebonyi — Commissioner

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, has justified the ban on the sale and consumption of foreign rice in the State.
Onwe told The Eagle Online that it was part of the state government’s moves to uphold the health and well being of the people.
He said though the State is not yet fully sufficient, the ban would motivate rice farmers, including all State Government appointees, to up their game in the cultivation of the crop.
He said: “Our plan is to ensure that we saturate the state with the product before we even think of selling to other states.”
Onwe said agriculture is one of the measures of the Governor Dave Umahi administration in Ebonyi State to ensure the viability of the state.
He equally pointed out that unlike the old Abakaliki rice that was full of stones, the one being packaged now has been taking through the process to make it stone-free.
Before arriving at the decision to ban the sale of foreign rice in Ebonyi State, Governor Umahi had made rice cultivation a state policy.
He directed all political appointees, including Commissioners and Special Advisers, to have their farms, with rice as the major focus.
Information has it that the Governor has a 45 acre rice farm.
Onwe is said to be operating a 10 acre rice farm.
With the harvest put at four times in a year, the State Government believes that it can meet the needs of the entire country and still have enough to export.
Onwe said: “Our contribution will be to make local rice available and easily affordable.
“People also need to be rest assured that Ebonyi rice is not heavily chemicalised as other rice.
Speaking on the price of rice in the State, Onwe said while paddy rice sells for N8,000 per bag, the processed rice goes for between N13,000 and N16,000.