The Nasarawa State government has said that its new branded rice, labelled NASACCO Rice, would soon hit the market in no distant time with the partnership deal it has entered with Silvex International for the processing and marketing of the product.
Governor Abdullahi Sule stated while speaking with newsmen in an interview during his inspection visit to witness the commencement of the harvest at Jangwa, Awe local government Area of the state on Monday.
He disclosed that the state government was partnering with Silvex International for the processing and marketing of the brand product called ‘NASACCO Rice’, which is expected to be in the market soon.
According to him, the government plan is to expand the current capacity of the farm from 3,300-5,000 hectares next year in line with his administration’s agricultural transformation drive.
The governor said that last year’s produce was sold to Olam farms, stating that the government has entered into a partnership with Silvex International to process and market the product under the brand name-Nasarawa Agro Commodity Company (NASACC Rice).
“This is a very important day for us because it’s a day that we are beginning the new harvest, you know, for our what we call the Jangwa Agwatashi farm.
“Last time it was only the Jangwa farm we had not yet extended and expanded all the way to the Agwatashi area, but today we have been able to do that we have been able to expand.
“Last year were only 2,000 hectares of land; this year, we did additional clearing of 1,300, making it 3,300 hectares. By the grace of God, next season we will expand by another 2,000, so that at least we’ll be talking about 5,000 plus hectares.
“So this is the idea, we are just going gradually, but the reason why today is so important and so exciting for some of us i that last year, all the harvest we transported from here, farm Jangwa, all the way to Lafia, we sold the rice to Olam farms.
“Today we have been able to have a partner and a true partner in that sense. Silvex is a company that has rice meals in Kogi, one in Abuja, but they don’t have a farm, so they buy from the open market. So we now say, instead of buying from the open market, come and buy from us.
“So they are coming all the way to the farm with all their gadgets, we are harvesting, we are bagging, we are weighing the rice right here inside the farm, and they have brought their trucks and they are taking the rice directly from here.
“So and even at a higher price than our other customer you know so that is a much better thing, but the most important thing for the good people of Nasarawa state to know is that Silvex is kind enough to say that they are going to now bag all this rice the finished product, you know in in our name so it is going to be Nasarawa
“So next time you go to the market when you see Nasarawa rice then you know it is the rice from Nasarawa state you know so it is very very important for us to be able to define that way and if you remember some months ago I told you my ultimate goal is to go into a PPP a joint venture arrangement with a private company we have found that private company you know so God answered our prayers and we’ve been able to find a company that has come and they are taking the rice from us and now we can go into a new relationship for the expansion.
“Because of our own capacity, we wanted just to expand next season by another 2,000. Silvex may come and bring the resources to say no, we don’t want to expand just 2,00,0, we want to expand 5,000 hectares, you know that way we’ll end up with 8,000 plus you know, so these are all possibilities that are there, and for me that’s the excitement.
“So that is nothing more exciting than Oprah Winfrey has mentioned, the best adventure is the adventure where you actually have a dream and you have been able to achieve that dream, you know, so today is a dream that this administration has and we have been able to achieve that dream.
“I’m so happy when I see trucks actually keep coming in, that means we can go ahead with a full-fledged harvesting, and the trucks will be able to convey this back to their destinations, you know, easier. So for us, this is not just promoting agriculture, this is involved in physical agriculture,” Sule said.
Also speaking in an interview, the chief operating officer of Silvex International, Garba Ibrahim, said the partnership signifies the commitment of the governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration transformation of the agricultural value chain, not just in Nasarawa state but for the nation at large.
He said that beyond the taxes, Nasarawa state would benefit from the shareholding, as, according to him, a significant shareholding has been dedicated to the partnership.
