Local rice production: Amarava calls for more investment

In what would be a major boost and a bold step towards self-sufficiency in rice production, Amarava Rice Mill, an indigenous milling company in Kano has expressed the commitment to double its production capacity by September 2019.

The Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill, which is the first end-to-end made-in-Nigeria rice mill (conceived, designed, manufactured, executed and installed using only Nigerian material and human resources), commissioned in the fall of 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari, is set to receive a major boost to its production capacity to the tune of 500 metric tonnes daily, even as it is heavily investing in the expansion of its millers.

This was revealed at a media interview with the Chairman, Fullmark Group (parent company of Amarava Agro Processors Limited), Sriram Venkateswaran, who stated that the drive to boost capacity is geared towards promoting government diversification effort, reduce independence on the importation of rice and improve food security.

“Currently, we produce 250 metric tonnes of rice per day, and with the coming expansion of our millers, we are set to double this capacity. This serves as a positive reinforcement for our local rice farmers because they will increase the hectares used for rice cultivation. Not only that, we are engaging more farmers who will be directly involved in the cultivation process, thereby boosting the agricultural productivity of the Nigerian economy,” he noted.

Venkateswaran urged government at all levels, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue to support the agricultural revolution underway, by committing more funding for agricultural investors and instituting enabling policies for local farming.