Nigeria Imports 338,946 Metric Tonnes Wheat in January 2012

Even as the Federal Government of Nigeria is making efforts to encourage local farmers and manufactures on cassava to replace flour as an important ingredient in the baking of bread, a total of 338,946 metric tonnes of wheat; an important component of flour has been legitimately imported into the country in the month of January, 2012

Even as the Federal Government of Nigeria is making efforts to encourage local farmers and manufactures on cassava to replace flour as an important ingredient in the baking of bread, a total of 338,946 metric tonnes of wheat; an important component of flour has been legitimately imported into the country in the month of January, 2012
Statistics obtained by our correspondent revealed that Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited [ABTL] recorded the highest volume of 171,657 metric tonnes of wheat in January as five vessels came into the port; namely Desert Rhapsody with 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat on the 29th ,Desert Serenity sealed into the port on the 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat on the 17th,Desert Eagle came into the port with 55,401 metric tonnes on the 16th ,while on the 10th of January a vessel called Atlantic Eagle came with 25,000 metric tonnes of wheat.
ABTL; handles wheat on behalf of its sister company; Flour Mill of Nigeria Plc which produces varieties of consumables that make use of wheat, which includes: pasta, flour, and semovita and noodles.
Similarly, another terminal; Joseph Dam handled a total of 140,539 metric tonnes of bulk wheat. On the 31st of January, a vessel called Arosa came with total of 25,000 metric tonnes of wheat, while on the 28th, a vessel called Nord Rotterdam came into Lagos port with 18,539 metric tonnes of wheat, on the 21st a ship called Wigeon arrived the terminal with a total of 17,000 metric tonnes of bulk wheat, while another ship called, East Gate arrived with 25,000 metric tonnes twice on the 10th and 4th of January respectively.
The terminal that handles Dangote’s imported wheat and other commodities called Greenview Development Nigeria Limited [GDNL] also recorded 26,750 metric tonnes of bulk wheat aboard a vessel called Atlantic Eagle which came into the port on the 7th of January.  
Under the 2012 budget that was released last year, government said it was introducing policies to encourage the substitution of high quality cassava flour for wheat flour in bread-baking as well as in the production of all flour-based products
Government had given bakeries 18 months to convert with a promise that they will enjoy a corporate tax incentive by March 31, 2012 and that importation of cassava flour will be prohibited so as to further support the programme.
To discourage its importation, the president had said that as from July, 2012, importation of wheat flour will attract a duty of 65 percent to bring the effective duty to 100 percent.