Drowning in imports: rice farmers reel as local industry collapses

Farmers blame insecurity, cheap imports, and poor policy support for job losses and plummeting rice production.

Nigeria’s rice industry is on the brink, with local farmers warning of total collapse due to insecurity, lack of government support, and unchecked imports. Peter Dama, Chairman of the Competitive African Rice Forum Nigeria, said on Sunday that many mills have closed and thousands of workers retrenched.

“Our mills have been shut down. We have retrenched workers. Is this the future for us in this country?” Dama asked.

He cited worsening insecurity as a key factor: “It was after the rise in banditry and kidnapping that farming became challenging, and production suffered.”

Dama defended past progress, saying: “We reached about 8 million tons, nearly meeting Nigerian demand.”

Now, he warns, local production has plummeted as importers flood the market with tax-evading, subsidised rice as cheap as $10–$20 per ton.

He called for urgent reforms, including a rice buffer stock, transparent trade policies, and investment in irrigation, inputs, and financing.

“Support paddy production… and provide accessible low-interest agricultural financing,” he urged.

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