Nasarawa govt partners Silvex Int’l to market state-grown rice
Nasarawa govt partners Silvex Int’l to market state-grown rice
The Nasarawa State Government says it has entered into a partnership with Silvex International to market its 3,300 hectares of harvested rice from its Jangwa/Agwatashi farm.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule disclosed this on Monday in Jangwa/Agwatashi, Awe/Obi Local Government Areas, during the commencement of the rice harvest.
He said that Silvex International, a rice processing company had agreed to mill, bag and brand the produce as NASACCO Rice, named after the Nasarawa Agro Commodity Company.
Sule explained that the state’s investment in rice production was aimed at promoting real agricultural practice rather than political gestures.
“Silvex has rice mills in Kogi and Abuja but no farms. They usually buy from the open market, but we asked them to buy directly from us.
“For us, this is not just about promoting agriculture through tractors, herbicides or fertilisers. We decided to go beyond that and get involved in physical agriculture,” he said.
The governor expressed satisfaction with the yield, describing the harvest as encouraging.
“Last year, we cultivated 2,000 hectares, and this year, we cleared an additional 1,300 hectares, making it 3,300. By God’s grace, next season, we plan to expand by another 2,000 hectares to reach over 5,000 hectares,” he said.
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Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, Chief Operations Officer of Silvex International, commended Gov. Sule for his commitment to transforming the agricultural value chain in the state.
He described Jangwa rice as high-quality and said the variety produced in the state ranked among the best in the country.
“Silvex is an integrated agribusiness with a daily processing capacity of over 460 metric tonnes; more than 15 truckloads from our two factories near Nasarawa State.
“One of our major challenges has been sourcing quality paddy at competitive prices. Fortunately, we have found a reliable partner in Nasarawa State.
“Beyond taxes and value addition, the state will also share in the profits from this venture,” he said.
Mr Mohammed Iyimoga, Manager of the farm, thanked Sule for his continued support, noting that the farm directly engaged about 570 youths.
