Date: 2009-11-10

The Federal Government is to partner with the Kwara State Government to enhance the smooth operation of the Agriculture Commodity Export Conditioning Centre recently approved for Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital.  

Under the partnership agreement, about 40% of the total cost of equipment valued at Two Million Euro (E2M) is to be provided by the Federal Government for the Centre.  

The Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr Sayyadi Abba Ruma disclosed on Monday in Patigi while performing the ground breaking ceremony for the 40,000 metric tons capacity Patigi Rice Processing Factory.  

Dr Ruma further disclosed that in the next two weeks, all procurement processes leading to the establishment of an agro-processing complex along the silos in Oke-Oyi would have been completed, such that the silos will be of a 25,000 metric tons capacity strategic food storage complex.  

His words: “We have taken cognizance of landmark achievements of your administration at repositioning agricultural economy of Kwara State. I just passed through your silos and let you know that in the next two weeks from now, we would have completed all procurement processes leading to the establishment of an agro-processing complex along the silos”. 

The Minister explained that through the agro-processing complex, the silos would be able to produce food and feeds, edible flour and animal feeds so that production round the year from numerous small scale farmers would be assured and guaranteed to strengthen market for their products.  

In order to ensure the sustainability of this project, he said a N5 billion Commodity Development Centre to be funded 100% by the Federal Government will also be established in the State.  

Dr Ruma expressed confidence that the partnership programme for rice processing especially with a private investor like Olam and  support and contribution of the Kwara State Government, as well as technical support from President Umaru Yar’Adua, the initiative at strengthening agro development programme will ensure sufficiency in food production, especially rice importation to the country.  

In pursuance of the  National Food Security Programme, the Federal Government had earlier made available the sum of N10 billion from the rice development levy,  to address the identified problems of rice processing factories in the Country.  

Speaking at the ceremony, the State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki congratulated President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for his giant stride at repositioning the agricultural sector and also thanked him for making Kwara State one of the 17 locations selected across the country for the pilot scheme.  

Dr Saraki observed that Nigeria has no business importing rice in view of the abundant natural resources which nature had endowed the country with.  

According to him, the country expend a lot of money yearly to import rice at the expense of the local farmers, arguing that poverty and hunger reduction can only be achieved through sincere commitment and investment in the agricultural sector of our economy.  

The Rice Processing Mills, he explained, would go a long way to curb importation, stressing that what needed to be done was to protect the country’s border against smuggling and to review the fiscal policies to make agriculture, especially the processing of local rice economically viable.  

Saraki, however, pleaded for Federal Government’s intervention in the areas of funding for the farmers by removing all the hitherto identified administrative bottlenecks hindering the local farmers from assessing agricultural loans.  

He also called for the right fiscal policies and tariffs to make a total success of the country’s agricultural policies, pointing out that this would further create market for our agricultural produce.  

Earlier, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor Mohammed Yisa had disclosed that the Patigi Rice Processing Factory is a joint partnership venture between the Federal Government, Kwara State Government and Olam Nig. Ltd. under a Public-Private-Partnership programme (PPP). 

Pro. Yisa explained that it was the desire of Governor Saraki to Promote processing of rice on a large scale in order to avert the current unnecessary application of the country’s hard earned foreign exchange on rice importation.  

He also thanked the Governor for approving fertilizer loan to rice farmers in the State last year which he said, had contributed to the increased yields of rice per hectare.  

In his goodwill message, the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar (OON), thanked Dr Saraki for his interest in the well-being of the people of Patigi in the area of distribution of improved seedlings to farmers in his domain.  

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Olam Nigeria Limited, a major rice processing firm, Mr Venkatarampni Srivathsan congratulated the Federal Government for initiating the process of making the country self sufficient in rice production.  

Olam, he said, which started an out growers scheme in collaboration with the State Government in 2007, on just 250 hectares of land, currently has an area of 5,163 hectares involving 3,500 farmers from five Local Governments in the State. 

 

Billy Adedamola

S.A (Media) to the Kwara State Governor

10/11/09