BEVERLY HILLS, March 07, (THEWILL) – Wattana Kunwongse, Thailand’s ambassador to Nigeria, has faulted a claim reportedly made by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, that Thailand accused Nigeria of being responsible for the collapse of its seven rice mills following the drastic fall in rice importation from the country.
THEWILL recalls that Ogbeh made the claim last Friday at a meeting of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) and the leadership of the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN) held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the report by NAN, the Minister said: “just like two weeks ago, the Ambassador of Thailand came to my office and said to me that we have really ‘dealt’ with them.
“But I asked ‘what did we do wrong’ and he said unemployment in Thailand which was one of the lowest in the world at 1.2 per cent has gone up to four per cent because seven giant rice mills have shut down because Nigeria’s import on rice alone has fallen by 95 per cent”.
However, responding to the news, the diplomat has denied the claims by Ogbeh declaring that Thailand’s official figures demonstrate that its rice export to the world in 2017 reached 11.48 million tons worth $5.1 billion.
“The report is not only misleading but a distortion of the actual conversation between myself and the honourable Minister of Agriculture at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on 30th January 2018, which was nothing short of positivity and optimism on both sides,” he told Premium Times.
“During which I praised President Buhari’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the essence of which is the endeavour to move the country to a self-sufficiency and export-oriented economy, and to that worthy cause, Thailand stands ready to work closely with the Nigerian Government in the field of technological transfer and agricultural machineries.
“At the same meeting, the honourable minister and I had reached the conclusion that I as Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria will be working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and rural development to establish a platform to discuss our mutual benefits in the form of MOU on Agricultural Cooperation and by forming a bilateral Working Committee toward that end.
“Thailand’s rice export to the world in 2017 (January-December 2017) reached 11.48 million tons equalising to $5.1 billion (USD), a 15.54 per cent increase compared to previous years, which is one of the highest figures on the history Thailand’s rice exportation. There is no proof of any shutdown of Thailand’s major rice mills.”
