NewStats: 3,261,665 , 8,174,697 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 02:55 AM 3ma5s

Almunjid:
It would be better for import waivers to negatively impact local rice mills rather than allowing greedy farmers to exploit consumers. I cannot understand why Nigerians often display such callousness towards one another. If the government were to close the border, the price of rice would skyrocket, and farmers would be content to see consumers struggle. Conversely, if the government sought to relieve citizens of the high cost of food, farmers would express dissatisfaction. In this context, it seems more reasonable for farmers alone to face challenges rather than the entire country enduring the consequences of exorbitant rice prices.

Peace!

Brilliant submission

These local rice dealers are evil. Our thought was that the prices of the local food will drop if the federal government give them chance to operate not in knowing that it will only hurt the masses.
The same 50kg bag of rice that was sold for 75-80k last month is currently selling @60-62k right now, when they see the inflow of India rice @58-60k.

It is only sincere military government that can make things better in this country...civilian government can be easily compromised.

those rice millers complaining are heartless criminals they should be arrested asap

E no go better for local rice mill

From the comments, it is clear the masses are fed up. Fed up of the exploitation and sheer wickedness of these farmers who are always quick to give one reason or the other on why their products are unaffordable.

They saw free money during buhari tenure and rice was scarce then that even the local rice we didn’t see it. They now want the govt to put millions of Nigerians into sufferings again to enrich their pockets.
Omo that boarder closure, I made cool cash that I used to invest in my business today by smuggling rice

Local rice farmers you have given your best unfortunately your best is wicked. Please kindly take 10 year holiday from farming rice. Thanks for your understanding

Let the local rice millers die if the import waivers will make rice affordable to Nigerians

Why is local production still expensive?

Very good. We need to see sane result in palm oil

Almunjid:
It would be better for import waivers to negatively impact local rice mills rather than allowing greedy farmers to exploit consumers. I cannot understand why Nigerians often display such callousness towards one another. If the government were to close the border, the price of rice would skyrocket, and farmers would be content to see consumers struggle. Conversely, if the government sought to relieve citizens of the high cost of food, farmers would express dissatisfaction. In this context, it seems more reasonable for farmers alone to face challenges rather than the entire country enduring the consequences of exorbitant rice prices.

Peace!

The federal government supposed to lower the cost of farming in the country. Importation of bad commodity with waiver is not sustainable and not a good one.
Buhari lost it because the intervention was not directed to the farmers but millers.

A country importing products that they can produce locally has failed woefully already.

You people should allow us rest for God sake.

You said food is too expensive the govt introduced a waiver to ease food cost yet you are still complaining biko na wetin na?

Rice Mill pls go and rest abeg.

To hell with these rice millers.

I know their actions have the potential to positively impact Nigeria.

But what have they been doing all these while?

Local rice seem to be damn to expensive than the imported ones.

The waiver is the only solution the government can profer to control the continued astronomic rise in the prices of rice across the country.

If these millers can't find a way to produce good quality rice at a competitive price, then the business is never meant for them.

The local farmers are the cause of this trouble. They got money to help their business from the Govt yet not ready to help the Govt . Selling local products like foreign ones . They will see pepper before Govt can reverse the waiver

iHart:
Very good. We need to see sane result in palm oil

Planting and milling rice is not our comparative advantage!

Border closure policy was the worst policy of Buhari istration, it's what put us where we are today.

Very wicked people everywhere.

Local and you sell at cutthroat prices

Wicked people

When local rice is more expensive that foreign rice.
Why won't you guys be kicked out of business.
You guys are greedy.

Let it crippled it completely. If local production are not affordable until the foreign Rice were brought to the market, then what is the essence?. The local one nearly choked the whole country. If not recently that the foreign Rice came down in price, the local production are not ready to bring down the price. Even till now, the foreign Rice are still more cheaper than the local Rice.

Besides, these farmers have the power to set competitive prices but they won't because of their selfish gains.

I know a lot of people would say they don't have the capacity for mass production which causes scarcity. Hence, the price increase. But that's not entirely true.

Even if that's the case, the new waiver is meant to help fill the gap caused by low local production.

Almunjid:
It would be better for import waivers to negatively impact local rice mills rather than allowing greedy farmers to exploit consumers. I cannot understand why Nigerians often display such callousness towards one another. If the government were to close the border, the price of rice would skyrocket, and farmers would be content to see consumers struggle. Conversely, if the government sought to relieve citizens of the high cost of food, farmers would express dissatisfaction. In this context, it seems more reasonable for farmers alone to face challenges rather than the entire country enduring the consequences of exorbitant rice prices.

Peace!

zero8zero:


https://dailytrust.com/how-import-waivers-are-crippling-local-rice-mills/

Nigerians and cluelessness are 5&6!
Imagine celebrating a government that borrows dollar loans collateralized with crude for importation of cheap rice from while local producers wail of not been a able to compete.
The economic principles of Intra-industry trade where a country export it's expensive uncompetitive products to earn and use less of the forex earned to buy cheaper alternative from another while investing the rest has turn rocket science in Nigeria.

zero8zero:
You can imagine Nigerian newspapers and their headlines.. " how import waivers crippling local rice mills". These same newspapers are the ones running scary headlines when food prices were soaring.. " Hunger: Nigerians can no longer afford food items", Food Inflation: Foods prices are more than doubled, inflation at 40%". " Nigerian Children are now among the undernourished in the world"... bla bla bla.

When food prices coming down, traders lament. When fuel prices coming down, transporters and oil marketers lament. Who's the real enemies if not ourselves.



End of story. Rice we no see, loan dem no pay back but were smiling to the bank, Nigerians were crying.

You are spot on my friend.

“It was an unfortunate decision because we had to lay our workers off and shut the factory. It is our hope that the federal government will go back to the drawing board and see how we can get out of the present situation."

It is better you lay off your workers and let imported rice be cheap for people to afford than keep them and be making locally produced rice expensive for people not to afford.
It is only in Nigeria that anything locally produced is more expensive than imported goods.

What ashame!

Safyqueen:


The federal government supposed to lower the cost of farming in the country. Importation of bad commodity with waiver is not sustainable and not a good one.
Buhari lost it because the intervention was not directed to the farmers but millers.

A country importing products that they can produce locally has failed woefully already.

The Nigerian government acknowledges that a country relying on imports for products they can produce locally has failed significantly. However, before opening the borders, the government had taken measures to empower farmers and lower farming costs. Unfortunately, Nigeria faces multiple challenges, including individuals exploiting and exhibiting heartlessness towards one another.

Despite the government's interventions, some farmers hoard their crops, and hoarders also buy farm produce like rice to store in warehouses, creating artificial scarcity to manipulate market prices. This practice adversely affects the average citizen, forcing the government to resort to opening borders. Imported rice usually reaches the market, providing some relief from the inflated prices. When the government opened the borders, rice became more affordable, leaving farmers and hoarders with surplus stock in their warehouses. As a result, some were compelled to sell their rice at a loss due to spoilage.

These farmers and hoarders are the ones expressing their frustration and condemning the government's decision to open borders and grant waivers for imported rice. This is due to the losses they incurred and their inability to continue exploiting citizens under the guise of rice farming. The government's policy has effectively disrupted their schemes, resulting in a more competitive market and affordable prices for the average Nigerian.

In this scenario, would it be preferable for Nigerians to continue suffering from the greed of farmers and hoarders, or should the consequences of such selfish actions be borne by those who perpetuate them?

Salam!

Buhari closed the borders and food prices shot up. Rice mountains were erected in Abuja to prove that we were indeed sustainable. Lots of farmers were happy and people ran to invest in grains stocking and farming enterprises predicting a handsome reward based on current circumstances.

Half way into the planting season in 2024, biting prices saw Tinubu giving a 6 month waiver for importation to reduce food prices while the season goes on.

Now we're in May this year and the gates are still wide open. Farmers who bought expensive input and high price grains for storage are counting losses. Talk of inconsistencies and too much make belief

Nigeria will humble you.

Hmm

Safyqueen:


The federal government supposed to lower the cost of farming in the country. Importation of bad commodity with waiver is not sustainable and not a good one.
Buhari lost it because the intervention was not directed to the farmers but millers.

A country importing products that they can produce locally has failed woefully already.

How do you know they're Importating bad rice?, are you the one vetting it at the borders?. Again, it's not true that Buhari did not give the intervention to farmers directly. The farmers through their various associations and different groups got the Anchor borrowers loan and got billions of funds from NIRSAL. They got fertilizers, tractors, seedlings, etc. Stop saying what you don't know. The farmers greed has come to bite them in the ass.

Almunjid:

The Nigerian government acknowledges that a country relying on imports for products they can produce locally has failed significantly. However, before opening the borders, the government had taken measures to empower farmers and lower farming costs. Unfortunately, Nigeria faces multiple challenges, including individuals exploiting and exhibiting heartlessness towards one another.

Despite the government's interventions, some farmers hoard their crops, and hoarders also buy farm produce like rice to store in warehouses, creating artificial scarcity to manipulate market prices. This practice adversely affects the average citizen, forcing the government to resort to opening borders. Imported rice usually reaches the market, providing some relief from the inflated prices. When the government opened the borders, rice became more affordable, leaving farmers and hoarders with surplus stock in their warehouses. As a result, some were compelled to sell their rice at a loss due to spoilage.

These farmers and hoarders are the ones expressing their frustration and condemning the government's decision to open borders and grant waivers for imported rice. This is due to the losses they incurred and their inability to continue exploiting citizens under the guise of rice farming. The government's policy has effectively disrupted their schemes, resulting in a more competitive market and affordable prices for the average Nigerian.

In this scenario, would it be preferable for Nigerians to continue suffering from the greed of farmers and hoarders, or should the consequences of such selfish actions be borne by those who perpetuate them?

Salam!

If the government is truly subsiding farmers then the same govt has the right to demand the supply of products to the market. Just like every other business, commodity trading is a thing.

Is it farmers suffering from the harsh economy that would have enough cash to starve themselves without selling their grains while waiting for prices to increase?

Whatever happened to Government mop up during harvest season and storage in silos across the country?

laivwire:


If the government is truly subsiding farmers then the same govt has the right to demand the supply of products to the market. Just like every other business, commodity trading is a thing.

Is it farmers suffering from the harsh economy that would have enough cash to starve themselves without selling their grains while waiting for prices to increase?

Whatever happened to Government mop up during harvest season and storage in silos across the country?

Farmers are suffering yet they're smiling to the bank, how about the funds they received from Govt?. You think Govt is providing them funds, fertilizers, tractors, seedlings so that they can take undue advantage of Nigerians by hiking prices unnecessarily?.

If it's hurting your business flood the market with your local product and sell at cheaper rate. So Nigerians should be suffering at expense of your personal business... Why should we buy bag of rice 100,000 in a country that claimed they have surplus of rice producers... The problem of these country starts from the head ..no price control they are doing everything opposite side. This country I give up on it

Putindbutt:

Farmers are suffering yet they're smiling to the bank, how about the funds they received from Govt?. You think Govt is providing them funds, fertilizers, tractors, seedlings so that they can take undue advantage of Nigerians by hiking prices unnecessarily?.

Funds. Do you believe those political funds reach the grassroots? Go and ask why Afex is struggling with GTBank or why a lot of the organisations through which these loans are disbursed are having a hard time making payments.

Those who majorly supply the market are doing it out of pocket and that's why they would hike prices to recoup their investments.