Nigerian Bank Nigeria CBN Central Bank Of Nigeria – Wema Bank Plans To Develop Rice Processing

Source: Thisdayonline, 25 July.2010
The Kano State Office of the World Bank-assisted Commercial Agriculture Development Project is planning to develop rice processing and farming in the country. Speaking at a meeting between State notable commercial rice farmers, Arewa Rice Processing Company, USAID-Markets and West Africa Seeds Alliance, the Kano State Project Coordinator of Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Alhaji Muhammad Badawi, said the meeting was summoned to create an enabling environment for both the farmers and the rice processing company to collaborate on areas of mutual interest.

Badawi explained that, unlike previous agricultural interventions where emphasis was placed only on increasing productivity, commercial agriculture development project is unique as the project is designed on chain value approach, where support will be rendered to beneficiaries from production along the chain of value addition up to the final consumer.

He said the meeting is in line with the project mandate of inputs support system and increasing commercialisation of agricultural produce, through effective facilitation of access to market for targeted value chains among small and medium scale commercial farmers in the state.

The State Project Coordinator urged the farmers and the rice processing company to collectively digest areas of beneficial relationship that will enhance their business, while the Commercial Agriculture Development Project, USAID and West Africa Seeds Alliance will provide the necessary support in terms of the provision of matching grants, capacity building, group development, improved production technology, and improved seeds of the needed varieties of rice.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Arewa Rice Processors, Alhaji Ado Tahir Fagge, disclosed that his company will start operations soon and has the capacity to process 50,000 metric tonnes of rice annually.

He said if the current production level of farmers is not increased, the company will have to source for raw materials (paddy) from neighbouring states and other countries like Republics of Chad and Cameroon.
Fagge therefore urged the farmers to double their production especially SIPI and Wita 4 varieties which their milling machine process. He assured the farmers that his company will offer the best price both at the harvest and other times.

Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Makarfi of USAID said their organisation was established to expand economic opportunities in the Nigerian agriculture sector by increasing productivity, enhancing value-added processing and commercialisation through private sector led growth and development.

He therefore assured the farmers that USAID-Markets will assist the farmers with their technical specialists to help determine areas of mutual interest potential collaboration and further link them to various markets across the globe. While West Africa Seeds Alliance’s representative, Mr. Emmanuel, assured the farmers and the rice processors of improved seeds that will increase productivity and provide high quality paddy rice to the
processing companies for multiplication and subsequent application. Others who spoke at the meeting include Sulaiman Sambo of USAID and a Kano based prominent farmer, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, among many others.

Nigerian Bank Nigeria CBN Central Bank Of Nigeria, Wema Bank Plc