CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important staple food for about half of the human race. The demand for rice in sub-Saharan Africa is growing much faster than for any other grain, with both the rich and poor relying on it as a major source of calories.1 It has witnessed considerable growing demand as more consumers move away from local carbohydrates diets such as yam and garri to making rice the staple food. About 70% of Nigerians feed on rice, while about 30% feed on other cereal products.2
Rice is cultivated in virtually all of Nigeria’s agro-ecological zones, from the mangrove swamp ecology of the Niger Delta in the coastal areas to the dry zones of the Sahel Savannah in the north. Many rice varieties are being grown in these different agro-ecologies.3 The country has a potential land area of between 4.6 to 4.9 million hectares suitable for rice production, but only 1.7 million hectares or 35% is being cropped. The small number of hectares under cultivation is an indication that food sufficiency through rice production has not yet been realized as rice production is left in the hand of smallholders whose output is inadequate and paddy processing is substandard. The domestic production is also constrained by low-input and crop management techniques by small scale rice farmers, as well as lack of water control techniques.4
Nigeria has been identified as one of the largest world importers of rice, second only to Indonesia. Nigeria is also by far the largest rice importer in West Africa with an average yearly import of over 2 million metric tonnes since the year 2000.5 In 2008, Nigeria produced approximately 2 million metric tonnes of milled rice and imported roughly 3 million metric tonnes, including the estimated 800,000 metric tonnes that is suspected to enter the country illegally on an annual basis. Total consumption stands at 4.4 million metric tonnes of milled rice, while annual consumption per capita stands at 29kg and this has continued to rise at 11% per annum since 2000. To meet this shortfall, government recognizes the potential of large-scale mechanized irrigated agriculture, using improved modern techniques, and wishes to promote further expansion of rice production by the private sector.6
Few decades ago, rice grains were processed at family level before cooking. Today due to industrialization and global competitive market trend, it has emerged as one of the major industrial activities in tiny, small, medium and large scale sector to cater for the increasing population of large number of millers engaged in processing. Milling of rice has spread over in some states across the country.7
Rice processing operations in rice production include parboiling (soaking and steaming), drying and milling. All operations except milling are done manually using hand tools. The input to the rice mill is paddy whereas the output is parboiled rice and raw/ white rice depending upon whether the pretreatment is given to paddy or not. The objective of milling is to get whole grain rice and preserve most of the rice kernels in their original shape. The technologies for rice milling in tiny and small mills are mostly conventional in nature and are not oriented towards minimizing pollution by incorporation of in-plant pollution prevention and control measures. This unit generates substantial amount of pollution especially air pollution due to fugitive emissions from various operations.8
Milling of rice is a crucial post-production step in rice production. The basic objective of a rice milling system is to remove the husk and the bran layers and to produce an edible, white or brown rice kernel that is sufficiently milled and free of impurities. In an ideal milling process this will result in the following fractions: 20% husk, 8-12% bran depending on the milling degree and 68-72% milled rice or white rice depending on the variety. Total milled rice contains whole grains of head rice and brokens. The by-products in rice milling are rice hull, rice germ and bran layers, and the brokens.9 Abakaliki is the largest producer of rice in Nigeria. The Abakaliki Rice Mill Company Ltd has over 5,000 workers, 2,500 rice milling machines, and a production capacity of more than 11,000 metric tonnes per month. Tonnes and tonnes of rice husks are produced every year as by product of rice processing at Abakaliki rice mills.10
This research stands as an exposition of the rice production in Nigeria, with a main focus Abakaliki Rice Mill. It is meant to enlighten the people about the various economic activities of Rice Mill in Abakaliki as their social and political effect. In time past, the significant role of rice production in Nigeria with special reference to Abakaliki Rice Mill has not been brought to light and following this realization, this thesis fully intends to undertake further exposition of all the activities of the historical background/description of Abakaliki Rice Mill Ltd. This thesis, however, is focused on Abakaliki Rice production and their socio-economic significant to Nigerians. The study will be a viable source of information for future researchers on this subject and its likes.
1.2 Aim and Objectives
The aim of this study is to examine the manifestations of rice production in Nigeria, with reference to Abakaliki Rice Mill; while the objectives include;
- To investigates the history of rice production in Abakaliki from the perspective of food security, policy apparatuses of the public and private individuals and the empowerment approach.
- It also examines the rate at which policies on rice production had affected the socio-economic and political status of the people of Abakaliki.
- This study attempts to unravel the activities of rice production and its impact on the economy of the area. This study, therefore, tries to examine the place rice production occupies in the economy of Abakaliki.
- It examines the contributions of the government, non-governmental institutions and other private economic actors to rice production, processing and marketing in and outside Abakaliki area.
- The study also seeks to unravel how the industry has directly or indirectly affected the living standard of the people in the locality.
- The study, however, also considers the challenges facing rice industry all in an attempt to make useful recommendations for self-sufficiency in rice production in the area.