Nasarawa Set to Boost Rice Supply in Nigeria with 1.2 Million Bags Harvest

• Governor Abdullahi Sule has said Nasarawa State targets the harvest of 1.2 million bags of rice from its Jangwa and Agwatashi farms
• The governor said his administration has already harvested over 600,000 bags from the 3,300 hectares cultivated this season
• Nasarawa state has partnered with Silvex International to process the harvested rice under the NASACCO Gold brand

Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, tech and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.

Governor Abdullahi Sule has announced that Nasarawa State is targeting a harvest of 1.2 million bags of rice from its farm in Jangwa and Agwatashi areas of the state.

The large-scale government-owned farm is located on the boundary of Awe and Obi local government areas, Guardian Nigeria reported.

According to the governor, the state government cultivated 3,300 hectares out of the 10,000 hectares earmarked for the ongoing rice project. He disclosed this on Friday while inspecting the ongoing harvest.

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Governor Sule said the harvest had already exceeded 600,000 bags within the first two weeks, representing about half of the expected output. He added that the exercise would continue for another two weeks.

The governor explained that the state hopes to expand cultivation during the next farming cycle, noting that transportation of paddy to Abuja and Lokoja, Kogi State, for milling and branding has already begun.

He also revealed that the state government has entered into a partnership with a leading rice processing company, Silvex International, to purchase and process the rice under the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company (NASACCO) brand.

He said the final product will be launched as “NASACCO Gold”, and it is expected to improve the market visibility of Nasarawa-grown rice and support Nigeria’s food security efforts.

“We will soon launch the NASACCO rice in Abuja after the harvest and milling of this year’s produce,” Sule said.

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According to Arise News, the governor noted that clearing of the remaining unused farmland would commence after the current harvest, ahead of the next planting season.

He disclosed that structures were being put in place to sustain the project beyond his administration, given its potential to create jobs, enhance food production and stimulate economic activity along the value chain.

The governor appreciated host communities, security agencies, partners, state officials and farm workers for their contributions throughout the farming season. He added that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda.

FG releases 250bn loan to farmers

Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government had approved the immediate disbursement of N250 billion meant as a credit facility for smallholder farmers, as well as those in rural communities.

Vice President Kashim Shettima reportedly gave the order to the Presidential Food Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), asking it to design an implementation and disbursement strategy for the loan.

Meanwhile, governors such as Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State and Jigawa state’s Umar, stressed the need to establish a structure to ensure the N250 billion credit facility reaches its intended beneficiaries.

Source: Legit.ng