Kwara State Government has announced its partnership with Olam to boost food production and value addition.

The government stated that it is open to collaborations with non-governmental organizations and agriculturists who share the same vision and commitment to developing the agricultural value chain in the state. Currently, the government is working with Olam to allocate farmland and train extension workers on the production of soya beans and maize, as well as value addition, with the aim of enhancing food security and nutritional intake.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, made this known during a working visit to Okuta in Baruten local government and its environs. He also mentioned that Olam will open a soya oil processing plant in Asa and that the partnership includes the provision of 100 hectares of land and seedlings.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Hon Oloruntoyosi Thomas spoke in Okuta, Baruten local government, on a working visit to the town and its environs.

On the Commissioner's entourage were the Manager, Olam Agri, Amit Mathur; Director Agricultural Service Ministry of Agric, Hajia Afusat Hussein; and Chairman Soyabeans Farmers Association, Kwara State branch, Olawoyin Yinka Solomon; among others.

Oloruntoyosi said the partnership covers the provision of 100 hectares of land and seedlings by the government to improve access to good seedlings and impressive yields.

“The focus of the partnership is on improving the productivity in quality and quantity in the soya beans value chain,” the Commissioner said on Wednesday at the Palace of Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Abubakar Idris Sero, who received the team.

"Olam will soon open the soya oil processing plant in Asa Local Government, as facilitated by His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who made sure that the plant is situated within the state for easy processing of soyabeans. Olam has also received the government's assistance by fast tracking the land documentation and other processes."

Kwara is a good location for soya beans oil processing plant because the state is blessed with fertile land and over 150 thousand hectares of land is being cultivated with soya beans across the state, the Commissioner said.

"We will continue to support our extension workers because our farmers need to have up-to-date information on how to farm better through technological driving so that they can improve their yields,” she added.

Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Sero, said the major occupation of the people of Baruten is farming, and appreciated the Governor for his agricultural development initiatives in the local council.

"We thank His Excellency for giving the farmers the needed attention. Some people are concerned about different things but His Excellency is concerned about the grassroot and giving us attention, as farmers, matters a lot,” the monarch said, pledging the support of his people to make the project a reality.

The Emir described the appointment of Hon Oloruntoyosi as a round peg in a round hole, citing how she is committed and passionate about realizing the mandate of her office.

"Our people have been farming and the fertility of the land will depreciate because of massive farming, and coming to the farmers' aid to have a good yield is a welcome development and we appreciate the government for this intervention,” he said.

Mathur, for his part, said the programme was to empower the farmers with soyabeans processing machines, and technical know-how and good seedlings to ease their farming activities and improve their production.

He said the company, at the end of the harvest, will buy directly from them for the processing of soya oil.

General Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Baruten LG chapter, Madubu Muhammad, said the programme is laudable as it will increase the output in soyabeans farming and make Baruten one of the highly soyabeans producing communities in Kwara.

The delegation also touched down in Gwane Village, Baruten LG, where the community head, Alhaji Daro Umar, commended the team for the visit and how the government is driving its agricultural policies.