The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim, recently revealed that the landing cost of imported rice from India stands at $58 per bag. Speaking to The PUNCH in Lagos, Ibrahim attributed the lower cost of locally produced rice to Nigeria’s high exchange rate, making imported rice less competitive. He emphasized that even though rice from India is the cheapest globally, when factoring in exchange rates, the landing cost exceeds N60,000 per bag to Lagos.
Furthermore, Ibrahim, also the President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, highlighted that the cost of importing maize from Brazil surpasses that of sourcing it locally. He explained that despite Brazil offering the cheapest maize, the current landing cost renders imported maize less competitive against locally produced ones.
In response to claims by the President of the Transborder Traders Association, Nasiru Salami, that 70% of imported livestock into Nigeria comes from Niger Republic, Ibrahim refuted the assertion. He clarified that while some cattle species are obtained from Niger Republic, most livestock slaughtered in Lagos originates from the northern part of Nigeria, not Niger Republic.
Ibrahim advocated for the transportation of cattle by wagons to alleviate stress during transit. Additionally, Shaki Agbeyewa, Deputy Chairman of AFAN, Lagos Chapter, emphasized the economic benefits of purchasing locally produced goods over imports, citing shorter production-to-consumption cycles and ensuring product freshness.
