Food Security: Kwara Partners Olam Industries to Cultivate 100 Hectares of Land for Soya, Maize

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

Kwara State Government at the weekend said that, it has partnered with the Olam Industries to allocate over 100 hectares of land for the cultivation of soya and maize as part of efforts to ensure food security for the people of the state.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, stated this in Okuta Town in Baruten Local Government Area of the state during a working visit to the town and its environs.
She however added that, the government was prepared to open its doors for partnerships with any non-governmental organisations and agriculturists who share the same vision and commitment with the administration to develop the agriculture value chain in the state.
She said: “The government said it is currently collaborating with the Olam in the area of allocation of farmland and training of extension workers on the production of soya beans and maize and value addition with a view to scaling up food security and nutritional intakes.
“The partnership covers the provision of 100 hectares of land and seedlings by the government to improve access to good seedlings and impressive yields. 
“The focus of the partnership is on improving the productivity in quality and quantity in the soya beans value chain.”
The Commissioner said these on Wednesday at the Palace of Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Abubakar Idris Sero, who received the team.
Her words: “Olam will soon open the soya oil processing plant in Asa Local Government, as facilitated by His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who made sure that the plant is situated within the state for easy processing of soyabeans. Olam has also received the government’s assistance by fast tracking the land documentation and other processes.
“Kwara is a good location for soya beans oil processing plant because the state is blessed with fertile land and over 150 thousand hectares of land is being cultivated with soya beans across the state.
“We will continue to support our extension workers because our farmers need to have up-to-date information on how to farm better through technological driving so that they can improve their yields.”
Also in his remarks, the Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Abubakar Idris Sero, said the major occupation of the people of Baruten is farming, and appreciated the governor for his agricultural development initiatives in the local council.
His words: “We thank His Excellency for giving the farmers the needed attention. Some people are concerned about different things but His Excellency is concerned about the grassroot and giving us attention, as farmers, matters a lot.” 
He however pledged the people of the community to support the government so as to make the project a reality.
The Emir described the appointment of Hon. Oloruntoyosi as a round peg in a round hole, citing how she is committed and passionate about realizing the mandate of her office.

“Our people have been farming and the fertility of the land will depreciate because of massive farming, and coming to the farmers’ aid to have a good yield is a welcome development and we appreciate the government for this intervention,” he said.

Also speaking, the Manager, Olam Agri, Amit Mathur; said the programme was to empower the farmers with soyabeans processing machines, and technical know-how and good seedlings to ease their farming activities and improve their production.

He said the company, at the end of the harvest, will buy directly from them for the processing of soya oil.

General Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Baruten LG Chapter, Madubu Muhammad, also said the programme is laudable as it will increase the output in soyabeans farming and make Baruten one of the highly soyabeans producing communities in Kwara.