local rice

High labour costs and huge import duties on inputs and machinery remain major challenges faced by rice producers in the country. There is high demand for the domestically produced rice but due to the afore-mention challenges, they are unable to produce in large quantities to meet demand. Consequently, producers of the grain have appealed to the government to help create a conducive environment that will make production and processing easier, which they believe will, in return, increase production to meet the rising demand. According to them, if the government can reduce taxes on imported inputs, such fertiliser and machinery, along…