Food security: NANTS, AGRA inaugurate rice processing centre in Niger

Food security: NANTS, AGRA inaugurate rice processing centre in Niger

Inauguration
By Rita Iliya
Minna, June 14, 2024 (NAN) The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) in conjunction with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has inaugurated a rice processing centre in Niger state.

The project was inaugurated at Gidan Mangoro, Gbamanda community of Bosso Local Government Area of the state on Friday under the AGRA/Niger state consortium.

Dr Ken Ukaoha, President of NANTS said at the inauguration and distribution of Point of Sale (POS) to corporative groups, that the centre would add value to food security and improve productivity.

He added that the centre would provide means of livelihood as more people will go into farming due to the proximity of the centre.

“Rice and maize are major commodities produced in large quality in the community, farmers will not have to travel long distance again to process their crops,” he said.

He lauded Gov. Umaru Bago for the massive investment in agriculture and advised women and youths to form cooperative groups to benefit more from the agriculture revolution.

In his remarks,  Mr Godswill Agwuyi, representative of AGRA disclosed that AGRA was working in 16 local government in rice, maize, soyabean value chain.

He said the focus was to support smallholder farmers to transform from small to large farmers, adding that the centre will help farmers process their products without traveling to another location.

In his speech, Gov. Bago commended AGRA for its intervention as it had become a household name in the state.

Bago, represented by Dr Matthew Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of Niger Ministry for Agriculture, advised various cooperative groups to take advantage of the centre to improve on their production.

“Aside processing crops, the centre will also create job opportunity and women groups are the major beneficiaries, you use the facility to create wealth,” he said.

While appreciating the donor for the facility Alhaji Sani Adamu, the Village Head of Gidan Mangoro, promised that the facility would be used to improve production and adequately maintained. (NAN)
RIS/EAL

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Edited Ekemini Ladejobi