AN Indian-owned company, Popular Farms and Mills, has expressed its determination to support rice production in Nigeria, to make the country independent in rice production in the next five years.
The Managing Director of the company, Dr A. Balamurugan, made the disclosure while speaking at an interactive session organised by the company for rice farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa State, adding that his company had secured licence to engage in agricultural activities in Nigeria.
Mr Balamurugan said in a plan to complement the effort of the government in the development of rice production in the country, the company would offer technical support, as well as train farmers in modern rice production.
He, however, noted that the company would also help farmers in Nigeria to access qualitative seeds, fertiliser, chemicals and other modern farms implements that would make their farming more profitable.
Balamurugan said before the end of the year, the company would inaugurate a rice milling plant, with a capacity of processing 350 bags per hour in Kano State.
According to him, the plant, when inaugurated, would provide a good market for rice farmers in Nigeria, as rice to be processed in the company would be sourced from local farmers.
He said to achieve the goals, the company had commenced trainings for rice farmers in Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa states, adding that “as we are about to inaugurate our rice plant, we will keep up and continue expanding our activities aiming at making Nigeria self reliant in rice production in the next five years.”
Balamarugan solicited the support of governments at all levels to make policies and programmes that would provide conducive atmosphere for the development of rice production in the country.
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