Chief of General

NN 28/ 11/ 85

Also to be commercialis

THE Federal Government has approved a new national policy on sugar thz Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, has disclosed.

Briefing media executives in Lagos yesterday, the Chief of General Staff said the new policy would be effective from next year.

He said the policy which is aimed at ensuring that the nation archieved self sufficiency in the local production of sugar within the shortest time possible, would also encourage private investors, local and foreign, and industrial users of sugar to participate in the development of the local industry.

He said a stop would be put to a free-for-all importation of sugar as only those who would participate in the local production would be allowed to import sugar until national self-sufficiency was achieved.

Commodore Ukiwe stated that reports made by different, study groups, on agriculture would be re-examined in the light of the present economic circumstances as ’ we do not want to pursue agricultural development by mere slogans.’

Government, he said, had realised that efforts had to be concentrated in specified areas rather than spread the country’s limited resources all over and without impact.
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The chief of General Staff said field production figures recent-ly- compiled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Central Planning Department showed a harvest ot three million tonnes of millet and over 15 million tonnes of cassava.

He maintained that emphasis would continue to be to the small-scale producers of food items including lived stock and fisheries adding that networks of small irrigation projects and earth dams were be emphasised.

Commodore Ukiwe also said that from next year financial
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