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Kwara Keys into New Policy on Rice Farming The illtroduction of higher tariffs on imported rice in the 2012 budget has raised the spectre of scarcity of the essential food item, including the attendant increase in the price of polished rice. However, the recent arrangement between the Kwara State Government alld a consortir.lIn of Spanish investors to fund rice production in the state could open the floodgates for other states of the federation to venture into rice production, writes Festus Akanbi
• R-L-Gol'trtlorAbduifalah Ahmed and Mr. Rube,. PtJroje, dinctor, VauolarColuornum , 'igning the MOU to ,m:ollrug,doomt!Jtic rict! product;o,. venture pMneIship with \IS CmsuItoria to I1lrm a mmpany called NEWCD. which wiu
engage in rice OJItivation arw:I proce'I'Iing." He explained that the stale ~t has iI :J) ~ a!Jll .stake in the project while its SpaniSh partnt'I:s ha~ 70 pel" rent. The state will alsO contribute 7 ri1illion Euros, he
Ioinod.
~ """'" "'" be.."..,....., on'" romnany"s board. Our portnl'm intmd to ~
:;,~ NiU IJilIbl in the rice rultivation, pro~ and packaging projl'd in the state ~ ... "'" fooi,.....1n """"' ... _ _ ment wtW:l ~!hem withauDlf1edaJe of land on Which they wuuId ruJtivall! and ~theria!.
'"Each ym.r; they will ailiivate 5.OXl hectares d land and p!!dUO! 4O,(D) Iml!I CJI pn:xES'BI rice. The beie61s indude ffiil!'iSive ~tion of i"'" ~I <i ... 1<* ",,"muNty. lIlC11!aSed inU!maIJy generaled re\"e'1UE'. tedlnoIogy I:raMIer and DYel'3Uemnomic devel0pment Of the stair." the govenof'S aide saki. On ......... <i location "" ... _ Akorede said the J7IUI«t will be Iocared on the banks of the Rivet' Niges- which is bene6ciaI for rice ruitiV31;icn ""Tlle itctuaJ ooboll wouJd be based on Val!Iolars soil b!5I5 to determine the ,~ SUitable out of Shonga. ~ Kaiama,. and other mrerine cornmunita Thl"l15 seqt.N:!I to their an"lysis of tit!! topvgraphy throUgh Sollellite~
''The~ project has taught goyemment the need to na\'t! the i'lppmpOaie plIic) in
terms of lanffs 10 5U~ the ~ but also tI.,.., aVirilabllity 01 agnwltural credit-In !he al5e of the rKr pro;ed.. we are looking at A situation \.. here !he'fEderal go\"em mmt Will gJ\"e fTl(ft iflCl.'l1ti~ to Iocaf ~ua!rs or ricr sud1 as NEWCO, whkh ";UJ bnng aboul the 1'iIP.id growth of the project ard ease actrS5 ID theIOcaJ ard inll!matiOnaJ market.. he said. W
Chairman of YmM Consortium, Mr Niguel G.lllando Maroas thanked the Slate go'\~ for the Initiative ard urged fa nn· ers in the stall> to in~ modem agricuItur.ll