text: The Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research has always emphasised the nutritional value of locally-produced rice.
  At a seminar organised by the institute in Ibadan, Oyo State, the former Director-General of the institute, Prof. Adesoji Adesanya, said rice production could only be improved in Nigeria if the Federal Government subsidised it.
  He noted that the economic value that should have been derived from local rice was being eroded because more Nigerians were consuming the imported variety.
  He said, “Agriculture requires more subsidies so that it does not die off. That is why some villages in parts of the country that are known for the production of local rice no longer do it.
  “What we need to do is to sensitise Nigerians on the need to consume more of local rice. The local rice contains more protein, which one cannot find in the imported rice because of its processing.”