Nasarawa State Government says it will expand it jangwa rice farm to five thousand hectares from the current three thousand hectares in the next farming season.
The State Governor Abdullahi Sule disclosed this while inspecting the harvesting of rice in jangwa, awe local government area of the state.
The governor said, the plans to expansion of the rice farm by another three thousand hectares from the three thousand and three hundreds hectares in the next farming season, is to boost economic growth and development in the state through agriculture.
He highlighted the state’s progress in agricultural development, stating that the farm had expanded from 2,000 hectares in the previous year to 3,300 hectares in the current year.
Governor Abdullahi Sule also announce the state government partnered with Silvex International, a leading rice processing company, to boost rice production in the state.
According to Governor Sule, the partnership will see Silvex International purchasing rice directly from the state’s farms and packaging it under the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company (NASACCO) brand.
The rice, which will be marketed as “NASACCO Gold,” is expected to increase the visibility and marketability of the state’s rice products.
Governor Sule expressed gratitude to Silvex International for the partnership, which he said was a fulfillment of his administration’s efforts to attract private investment into the state’s agricultural sector.
He noted that the partnership is also expected to lead to increased rice production in the state, with plans to expand the farm’s hectarage from three thousand and three hundreds hectares to over eight thousand hectares in the near future.
The Governor commended the youth and communities in the Jangwa, Ayakeke, and Agwatashi areas for their hard work and dedication to the farm’s success.
In a remark, The Chief Operating Officer of Silvex International and Project Head of Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company NASACCO Abubakar Garba Ibrahim, described the partnership as a huge celebration for the company.
He explained that the partnership would benefit the state in several ways, including taxes, value addition, and sharing of end profits.
The Silvex COO commended Governor Sule’s commitment to transforming the agricultural sector in Nasarawa State and beyond.
He noted that the partnership would boost rice production in the state, with plans to source paddy rice from the state’s farms to feed the company’s processing facilities.
COV/Aliyu Muraki/Lafia.
