Goodnews: Prices Of Foodstuff To Crash In 2 Weeks — Agric Minister Audu Ogbeh

Minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, who is the chairman of presidential task force on soaring prices of foodstuffs has assured Nigerians that the federal government has concluded plans to crash the prices of rice and other foodstuffs within the next two weeks.

He disclosed in a recent interview with LEADERSHIP Newspaper.

In his words, Ogbeh said “The federal government will intervene on the prices of rice and other commodities in the next two weeks”, adding that details of the intervention will be clearly spelt out for all Nigerians to see..

The minister who admitted that weeks after his committee was inaugurated prices of foodstuffs are still much on the high side hinted that the committee has concluded arrangements to meet with rice growers and millers.

“We are talking to farmers to ensure that the prices are drastically reduced”, he stated, just as he pointed out that the current government has put in place different measures aimed at making farming encouraging.

Stressing that farming is a viable business, Ogbeh regretted that farmers have been enjoying government’s windfall but feel reluctant to bring down prices of foodstuffs.

“Although the high price is bad for non-farmers, it is good for the country because more and more people will rush to agriculture. At the end of it all, production will increase and prices will necessarily fall”, he said.

He insisted that his committee and the federal ministry of agriculture have intervened in different ways aimed at making farming more pleasurable to farmers.

He added that cost of credit to farmers has been reduced, even as he hinted that the Bank of Agriculture is being re-organised to further bring down the interest rates.