Nigeria’s
wheat production has seen an increase from less than 200,000 metric tonnes to close to one million metric tonnes this year,farmers and other stakeholders are making moves to increase the production to two million metric tonnes.
Nigeria may save $422.9m (N129.4bn) from importation of wheat next year, going by projections from farmers and other stakeholders that local production of the produce will increase to two million metric tonnes,this is in line with the Federal Government’s Agricultural Promotion Policy, which aims to reduce wheat importation by 50 per cent this year.
The country currently imports 4.4 million metric tonnes of wheat at an average market price of $211.45/tonne.After several interventions in the sector by both the private sector and the Federal Government, wheat production has increased from less than 200,000MT to 900,000MT.
“From the discussion I had with the Group Managing Director of Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Paul Gbededo, wheat production has increased to almost one million metric tonnes,” the Supply Chains Director, Honeywell Flour Mills, Mr. Rotimi Fadipe, said during the presentation of 50 threshers to wheat farmers by the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria.
In 2015, the Federal Government funded a research into wheat that led to the development of two new varieties, LACRI WHIT -5 and LACRI WHIT -6, by research institutes, universities, crop scientists and private seed companies.
The National President, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Salim Mohammed, told our correspondent that farmers were working hard to further increase the production and had projected that with the right equipment and incentives, wheat production should reach two million metric tonnes between the year-end and 2019.
The sector is also seeing increasing private sector support. Just last week, the Flour Millers Association, comprising Dangote Flour Mills, Honeywell Flour Mills, Olam Grains and Flour Mill Nigeria Plc, donated 50 threshers, each valued at N1.4m, to the farmers to help boost the production of the crop.
The increasing production of wheat will also translate to export revenue for the country as Nigerian wheat is said to be in high demand in other African countries that rely on the nation for grains.
