Like every rich nation, the Nigerians literally became giddy with the new found wealth of oil and, among several articles of ostentatious life style consumed then was the long grain parboiled rice mainly from Asian countries like Thailand and China. Indeed, this item was so cherished by the people who preferred the already polished and sorted rice to the stone riddled local ones that, in no time, production of the local rice soon suffered a paralysis.
Despite spirited efforts by successive governments to reverse this trend, not much success was recorded. The people had become hooked on imported rice.
Accentuating this fact is that last year alone, the Federal Government of Nigeria imported rice worth $750 million into the nation to complement local production.
Yet, two countries - China and Thailand - which have continued to be noted for their massive production of rice worldwide, share similar climatic conditions, vegetation and soils with several states in Nigeria.
Given this fact and in view of the people’s penchant for this commodity, the question on many lips is: Why has the nation not taken advantage of this similarity in climatic conditions with China and Thailand to explore the superior technology of these two nations and put itself on the world map economically?
Realising the vast opportunities at its disposal and the untold wealth that could be created for the people owing to similar climatic, vegetation and soil texture shared by Ondo State, Thailand and China, Governor Olusegun Agagu, the state chief executive, recently led a delegation to the two countries with a view to increasing the state’s economic base as well as create more jobs.
Indeed, ever since the inception of the Agagu-led administration, it fashioned out many developmental programmes aimed at agricultural transformation and industrialisation of the state. To make this possible, visits were made to various agricultural research institutes, farms and industries in Nigeria and Republic of Benin. Government equally initiated some programmes towards agricultural transformation. But realising that these activities are insufficient to enable the state achieve its target of agricultural and industrial development, the governor led the delegation to China and Thailand.
Specifically, the team went to understudy the agricultural activities of these countries in the areas of sugar, cassava, fisheries and lowland rice production, in order to gain advantage of the strategies put in place by their governments in achieving the political and socio-economic aims of their agricultural sectors. Also, the team studied the agricultural programmes put in place by the two nations in terms of investment on projects, infrastructural development and incentives, technical and educational support to farmers, favourable policies and agro-processing industries among others.
On the delegation, aside from the Governor, were Mr. Ayo Ifayefunmi, Commissioner for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest resources; Professor Adeduro Adegeye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Poverty Alleviation; Dr. Ibukun Omotehinse, Chairman, Ondo State Oil Producing Development Commission; Professor O. O. Tewe, Consultant to the Governor on Cassava; and Ambassador A. Aderele, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand. Aside from extensive tours of study on sugar plantations, cassava farms, rice farms and rice mills as well as inspection tours of fish farms, the delegation made lots of business contacts for the state.
It visited the Mayor of Nanning County in China, Bayoke Group of Companies, Consular General of Kenya, Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Thai-Nigerian Trade and Friendship Association, all in Thailand.
Dr. Agagu equally took advantage of these meetings to highlight the vast investment opportunities in Ondo State. He underscored the imperative of the Chinese, the Thais and their businessmen/investors to buy into existing industries and to partner in the establishment of new ones.
At the end of the tours, the delegation succeeded in initiating a partnership arrangement with Nanning Heavy Machinery Plant in China, which manufactures equipment for rice milling, sugar refining, starch manufacturing, among others, for the establishment of a sugar factory and sugar cane plantation in Ondo State.
For Cassava, a partnership arrangement was made with S. W. Multi-Tech Starch company Limited, Thailand. The company is to visit the State later this month. Also, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Soon Hua Seng Group of Companies, Thailand, on the establishment of a cassava starch factory and a cassava plantation to serve the factory.
The Bayoke Group of companies, Thailand, similarly agreed to visit Ondo State for an on-the-spot assessment before the end of this month. An MOU was also signed with Soon Hua Seng Group of Companies, Thailand, for the establishment of a rice-processing factory in Ondo State. Similarly, the Pathum Rice Mill and Granary Pathum-Thani, Thailand, indicated interest in partnering with Ondo State. Burswood Limited, China, has equally agreed in principle to partner with Ondo State in the establishment of rice plantations and rice mills, subject to the approval of the regional government of Guangxi, which is expected to be obtained very soon. On fisheries/ aquaculture, the owner of Kased Somboon Farm at Ayudhaya Province, Thailand, indicated his interest to visit Ondo State in company of the Bayoke Group before the end of this month. The Ondo State government, on its part, indicated interest in procuring some walking tractors, tricycles and small transportation vehicles to aid agriculture. Furthermore, the government proposed the establishment of an assembly line for the above vehicles and equipment in Ondo State.
Speaking on the gains of the visit, Governor Agagu had, on his arrival on Monday, June 28, told the people of the State that the essence of the trip was to create more employment and put Ondo State on the front burner industrially.
His words: “We went to look for how to create more employment for our people by setting up more industries and waking up the dead ones…. We went to look for partners to build sugar factory in this State and create several thousands of jobs for our people. We went to look for partners to help us grow rice and process it in right here in this State. Nigeria imported $750 million worth of rice into this country last year; we want to export rice from this State to other parts of Nigeria…. We want to become the Thailand of Nigeria.
