Institute to establish mini dates palm juice processing factory in Jigawa
NAN-H-12
Factory
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, Jan. 8, 2017 (NAN) The Dates Palm Research Sub-Station in Dutse, Jigawa, said it has concluded arrangements to establish mini dates palm juice processing factory.
The Officer in Charge of the sub-station, Malam AbdulHamid Hamza, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Dutse.
Hamza said that the factory would be ready in the next three months.
“We had planned to establish the factory in 2016, but due to dollar prices we had to review our budget for the programme.
“But this time around, we had concluded all arrangements for the project, and by the grace of God it will start working in the next two or three months.
“All the equipment and other necessary materials are here in our office,” he assured.
He stated that the juice would be produced under hygienic environment, adding that the gesture was to reduce wastage of the fruits after harvest.
According to him, it would also enable the institute to generate money, and encourage production and exportation of date palm fruits.
The officer pointed out that it would further improve the socio-economic lives of residents of the areas where the dates would be grown.
NAN reports that dates palm is mainly grown in Dutse and its environs in the state.
Dutse is also known for its species of dates palm and has a large population of growers because of the availability.
NAN reports that the Dates Palm Research sub station is under the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).(NAN)
MNB/JPE/MZA
Edited by Joseph Edeh/Maharazu Ahmed
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