13022020

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 — 39
Our agenda for
cocoa in Kwara,
by Governor
AbdulRazaq
By Demola Akinyemi
Ilorin...Kwara State
Governor AbdulRahman
AbdulRazaq has said his
administration has raised
50,000 hybrid Cocoa seedlings,
which will
be distributed to
farmers at affordable
prices
once they mature
in 18
months.
“This is being
done with a view to
ensuring the prompt and
effective rehabilitation and re- generation
of the aged Cocoa plantations
or farms existing in the State,” Governor
AbdulRazaq disclosed at the
recent Cocoa Farmers’ Roundtable
Conference held at Cocoa House,
Oke Onigbin, in Isin Local Government
Area of the State.
Represented by the State Commissioner
for Agricultural and Rural Development,
Mrs Adenike Afolabi-Oshatimehin,
AbdulRazaq said the government
would establish a Cocoa
nursery in the State to serve as the
genuine source of planting materials
for the farmers.
“In this fiscal year, we plan to resuscitate
the training and retraining
of cocoa farmers on good agricultural
practices through the Farmers Field
School (FFS) and Farmers Business
School (FBS) respectively.
“This is being done with a view to
enhancing the quality of the cocoa
beans being produced in the State. In
addition, we also intend to look into
prospects of being able to possibly
address extant challenges associated
with some of the critical input requirements
of cocoa farmers in the state,”
he added.
Farmcrowdy moves into livestock value chain
FARMCROWDY has
acquired Best Foods
(L&P) to to grow its Livestock
value chain with an improved process
for livestock production.
Announcing the acquisition in
Lagos, the Founder & CEO of
Farmcrowdy, Onyeka Akumah, said
the acquisition of Best Foods L&P
Limited is a major milestone for the
entire team knowing as it offers a
wider livestock production and
processing solution to the meat
market.
The acquisition will see Farmcrowdy
owning majority stakes in Best Foods
L&P Limited including its assets, team
and customer contracts to supply meat
across Nigeria.
Best Foods is an agribusiness group
of over 16 years focused on the
processing of livestock (Best Food
Livestock and Poultry), farming (Best
Food Fresh Farms), and marketing of
agricultural produce.
Best Foods L&P Limited was
established to provide wholesome
livestock and agricultural produce
grown in Nigeria at affordable prices
within and outside the country. The
company is credited as one of the
largest meat processors in Lagos,
Nigeria with a capacity to process 120
- 200 bulls every day.
In this light, the acquisition of Best
Foods L&P Limited will provide
Farmcrowdy the opportunity to
continue to grow its Livestock value
chain with an improved process for
livestock production and processing to
reach the desired high standards fit
for local consumption and export were
necessary.
The expansion of the business will
also enable Farmcrowdy to become the
most preferred source of processed
livestock across Nigeria starting from
Lagos.
The expanded business will serve
over 50 meat markets (including beef
and poultry) across the south-western
zone in Nigeria and will manage over
100 consumer endpoints.
Known for its prowess in adapting
technology to agriculture, this
acquisition will see Farmcrowdy enter
the meat retail market with the launch
of Farmcrowdy Meat Hubs across
Governor
AbdulRazaq
explained that the
present administration understands
that lack of basic social amenities,
physical infrastructure, et al, could constitute
disincentives for farming in
agrarian communities in the State, saying
“it is for this reason and more that
we are committing significant resources
to road construction, healthcare,
water and basic education in the 2020
budget, which has just been passed and
assented to.”
“Agriculture occupies a vantage position
under this administration. We have
invested a lot of money to reposition the
sector, beginning with the N200m counterpart
fund for RAAMP III and another
N49.78m FADAMA counterpart fund,
among others.
“We have also made appreciable budgetary
provisions for agriculture
this year,
while also engaging the
Federal Government and
private investors on how to
grow the sector in the State.”
He assured the farmers that the administration
remains firmly committed
to rebuilding and reconstructing the
state for the good of all and for the benefit
of children yet unborn.
“Since we came on board, our administration
has given so much attention
to Cocoa because of its extensive value
chain — just as we are doing with
sugarcane and other essential crops
and agricultural produce that can be
successfully cultivated in the State,” he
said.
“Kwara is currently grouped as a
minor Cocoa state in Nigeria, owing
in part to the perennial migration of
cocoa farmers to other states and the
seemingly unabated trend of rural-urban
migration. This is a narrative that
we want to change and as soon as possible.”
Lagos in Q2 2020 to provide quality
meat produced and traded by
Farmcrowdy for everyday consumers
using Technology.
Reports show that Lagos alone
consumes 6,000 cattle every day while
Nigeria processes over 1.2 billion
chickens annually.
Kenneth Obiajulu, Managing
Director of Farmcrowdy, added that
“Best Foods offers an exciting
opportunity for Farmcrowdy to
strengthen and expand its service
offering in livestock production,
processing, and supply.
“With a range of high profile clients,
the acquisition supports Farmcrowdy’s
strategy to lead the market and meet
the requirements necessary to process
approximately 45 cattle every day for
meat consumption in Lagos.”
Emmanuel Ijewere, Founder of Best
Foods, said, “This deal with
Farmcrowdy is a welcome
development for us as it provides a
major growth opportunity for both
businesses. We are excited about the
many possibilities.” Ijewere will be
joining Farmcrowdy as a member of
the advisory board.
Firm targets
30,000 acre
maize farmland
with 120,000
tonnes Yields
An agro-based firm, H.O
Corn, has revealed plans to
cultivate 30,000 hectare of land
with expected yield of 120,000
tonnes of maize to meet
households and industrial demand
this year.
Chief Executive Officer of the
firm, Mr Harrison Andrew, stated
that the 120,000 tonnes would be
produced in two farming seasons
— six months per season within
the year — at 60,000 tonnes each.
Andrew explained that maize
production in the country has
increased from 7.2 million metric
tonnes between 2016 and 2017 to
10.2 million metric tonnes between
2018 and 2019.
He added that maintaining a
steady increase in maize
production will have a huge
positive impact on the country’s
GDP.
“Over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s
production goes into animal feed,
especially for poultry; 10 to 15
percent is directly consumed
roasted, boiled or prepared as
porridge by individuals in
households. The balance is
consumed by food manufacturing
industries as raw material. This
means that the demand for maize
would continue to rise in the
country,” he said.
According to Andrew, the 30,000
acres production capacity can
accommodate 30,000 investors with
a minimum investment of
N100,000 per lot and assurance of
50 per cent return on investment.
“An investor can pay for one lot
or more, depending on his or her
financial strength and is assured of
getting 50 per cent of his
investment as profit.
Speaking on growth and
development, Andrew said the
company began maize cultivation
in 2017 on a farmland located at
Iseyin Local Government Area in
Oyo State, adding that the firm has
increased its cultivation capacity to
30,000 acres, making it the largest
maize farm in Nigeria.
Andrew further explained that
the company would increase the
cultivation capacity to 50,000 acres
next farming season to increase
opportunities for investors and
contribute to mitigating the
eminent hunger crisis in the
country.
The initiative, he said, will
contribute to the country’s
agricultural industry and provide
massive employment opportunities
to Nigerians and ensure
sustainable wealth creation
through farming and education on
wise investment.
“H.O CORN produces and
processes fresh and dry corn and
supply to the local market, whose
domestic consumption has continued
to experience phenomenal growth over
the years.
“We believe that food should be
of high quality, locally sourced,
readily available and sustainable.
Our passion is to pursue corn
farming as a solution to the hunger
crisis in Africa and become a
contributor to the continents
Agricultural industry,” he said