Daily Trust | 29 August 2013
How Edo is attracting investors in agric
Written by Vincent Egunyanga, Benin
In this interview, Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Abdul Oroh, explains how the state government is attracting big time investors in agriculture to the state. Excerpts:
You had an agric summit in Benin last year, how has that improved agricultural activities in the state?
Yes, we signed some Memoranda of Understanding with the federal government during the agric summit; one was on crop enhancement support, growth enhancement support while the other one was on cassava value chain etc. Under this understanding that we have with the federal government, two rice processing plants will be established in the state, one in Ekperi and the other one in Ilushi in Esan South-east while a cassava processing plant will be established in Edo South. The main objective of the investment summit was to showcase the investment potentials of Edo State and I am happy to say that we have received tremendous outcome from that summit. Since after the summit, we have received a lot of investors in the state, some have applied for land and we are processing many of the applications. Two weeks ago, we gave 10,000 hectares of land to a company called Ekha Chemical Company. They are into cassava processing for industrial uses like sweeteners, chips, high quality flours, starch etc. Some other people have also applied for some 10,000 hectares of land for rice production. We have also received enquiries from Industrial Development Group from South Africa; they have asked for about 25,000 hectares of land to do oil palm etc. Dantata Group has asked for 25,000 hectares to do rice etc. We are processing the applications to see those we want to do business with. We have forwarded the requests to members of our economic team to know their level of seriousness.
Some state governments are collaborating with Songhai Farms of Benin Republic, do you have any collaboration with them?
Songhai is nothing new, we don’t have any collaboration with them and I am not sure we want to do anything with Songhai. I don’t want to do something because someone else is doing it. We have farm settlements way back. Songhai is somehow like a farm settlement. A whole lot of integrated approaches are adopted to develop varieties of agric produce from chicken to fish to birds. It’s good, I have seen some of their farm settlements in a number of states, I have seen that of River State but what of that in Delta State? I think it has closed. I don’t know whether that of Enugu is still functioning. Our strategy is to bring in big time investors; there are already some big time investors in Edo State, like Presco Oil Palm, like Okomu Oil Palm, like A and Hartman, Ojemai Farms etc. There are lots of successful farms doing business in Edo State. Edo is also home to key Agricultural Research Institutes like the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research [NIFOR], Rubber Research Institute, a branch of Cocoa Research Institute etc. We have started creating enabling environment for businesses and institutions to thrive. The state government has constructed and rebuilt over 500 kilometers of roads across the state including many difficult terrains and these have opened up many rural communities and increased the farmland banks in the state.
Do you have an agricultural policy in this state?
Yes, we have agric policy. Our policy is to bring in investors, diversify and strengthen the capacity of local farmers who are already working on the ground and give them all the support they need to expand, to reduce the burden of agriculture, to increase their yields, improve on their finances access to credits, to transform their endeavors into things that will give them more income. We see agriculture as a business, that is why we don’t want to get involved in farming but to encourage investors to come in and invest.
What is the greatest problem confronting agriculture and food production in the state?
The greatest problem facing my ministry has a direct link with the general problem confronting the agric sector in Nigeria. As a nation, we talk glibly about how much we spend importing food that we can grow in this country. We talk about the need to grow more food to secure the population, to create jobs and to feed the agro industries. We are quick to lament lack of investment in the sector and how to reverse this. We come up with beautiful policies backed with equally beautiful statistics but at the end of the day we don’t do more than that. It is a national problem and its effects tell on the states. That is the problem, lack of investment in agriculture. The biggest obstacle to food production in Edo State is directly linked to the problem of lack of adequate investment in the sector. In Edo State as in all other states of the federation, agriculture is still largely practiced the old way. Farmers have no control over the weather, they are still stocked with crude implements like hoes and cutlasses, they yield too small not even enough to feed the family through the seasons. Post harvest loses is still high, access to market is not within the control of farmers and no access to credits. However, we are about to change all that in Edo State. We are now determined to transform agriculture as a business venture where farmers can look forward to good harvest and profit.
How can you make farming attractive to youths in the state?
We can make farming attractive to youths by transforming it into a profit making business ventures. We can remove the drudgery especially in land preparation, the hardship and the often present problem of uncertainties associated with agriculture. They must have access to credit, improved seeds, mechanization and access to markets. They also need to develop new skills in farm management and operation of agricultural equipment. The youths will be encouraged to go into farming if it is profitable.
How much is the state government committing into agriculture?
A lot of grits, gravitas, goodwill, incentives and raw cash; we will apply the little we have in the right places. We will work with the private sector and other multinational organizations and the federal government to step up our contributions to national food security. We want to be number one in cocoa, oil palm, rubber, rice, citrus, cassava, and aquaculture. We also want to be the main hub in commodity trading and agro processing. Let me commend the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, for his great initiatives and absolute commitment to the transformation of the agric sector. He needs all the support from the private sector especially the banks and the villa in Abuja especially as it affects consistency in policy. I mean if the policy is to stop importation of palm oil or rice, we should implement it without compromise, without looking back.
Abdul Oroh, Commissioner for Agriculture of Nigeria's Edo State, says his government gave 10,000 hectares to Ekha Chemical Company two weeks ago for cassava production, while two other companies have asked for 25,000 hectares each for palm oil and rice.
How Edo is attracting investors in agric
Written by Vincent Egunyanga, Benin
In this interview, Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Abdul Oroh, explains how the state government is attracting big time investors in agriculture to the state. Excerpts:
You had an agric summit in Benin last year, how has that improved agricultural activities in the state?
Yes, we signed some Memoranda of Understanding with the federal government during the agric summit; one was on crop enhancement support, growth enhancement support while the other one was on cassava value chain etc. Under this understanding that we have with the federal government, two rice processing plants will be established in the state, one in Ekperi and the other one in Ilushi in Esan South-east while a cassava processing plant will be established in Edo South. The main objective of the investment summit was to showcase the investment potentials of Edo State and I am happy to say that we have received tremendous outcome from that summit. Since after the summit, we have received a lot of investors in the state, some have applied for land and we are processing many of the applications. Two weeks ago, we gave 10,000 hectares of land to a company called Ekha Chemical Company. They are into cassava processing for industrial uses like sweeteners, chips, high quality flours, starch etc. Some other people have also applied for some 10,000 hectares of land for rice production. We have also received enquiries from Industrial Development Group from South Africa; they have asked for about 25,000 hectares of land to do oil palm etc. Dantata Group has asked for 25,000 hectares to do rice etc. We are processing the applications to see those we want to do business with. We have forwarded the requests to members of our economic team to know their level of seriousness.
Some state governments are collaborating with Songhai Farms of Benin Republic, do you have any collaboration with them?
Songhai is nothing new, we don’t have any collaboration with them and I am not sure we want to do anything with Songhai. I don’t want to do something because someone else is doing it. We have farm settlements way back. Songhai is somehow like a farm settlement. A whole lot of integrated approaches are adopted to develop varieties of agric produce from chicken to fish to birds. It’s good, I have seen some of their farm settlements in a number of states, I have seen that of River State but what of that in Delta State? I think it has closed. I don’t know whether that of Enugu is still functioning. Our strategy is to bring in big time investors; there are already some big time investors in Edo State, like Presco Oil Palm, like Okomu Oil Palm, like A and Hartman, Ojemai Farms etc. There are lots of successful farms doing business in Edo State. Edo is also home to key Agricultural Research Institutes like the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research [NIFOR], Rubber Research Institute, a branch of Cocoa Research Institute etc. We have started creating enabling environment for businesses and institutions to thrive. The state government has constructed and rebuilt over 500 kilometers of roads across the state including many difficult terrains and these have opened up many rural communities and increased the farmland banks in the state.
Do you have an agricultural policy in this state?
Yes, we have agric policy. Our policy is to bring in investors, diversify and strengthen the capacity of local farmers who are already working on the ground and give them all the support they need to expand, to reduce the burden of agriculture, to increase their yields, improve on their finances access to credits, to transform their endeavors into things that will give them more income. We see agriculture as a business, that is why we don’t want to get involved in farming but to encourage investors to come in and invest.
What is the greatest problem confronting agriculture and food production in the state?
The greatest problem facing my ministry has a direct link with the general problem confronting the agric sector in Nigeria. As a nation, we talk glibly about how much we spend importing food that we can grow in this country. We talk about the need to grow more food to secure the population, to create jobs and to feed the agro industries. We are quick to lament lack of investment in the sector and how to reverse this. We come up with beautiful policies backed with equally beautiful statistics but at the end of the day we don’t do more than that. It is a national problem and its effects tell on the states. That is the problem, lack of investment in agriculture. The biggest obstacle to food production in Edo State is directly linked to the problem of lack of adequate investment in the sector. In Edo State as in all other states of the federation, agriculture is still largely practiced the old way. Farmers have no control over the weather, they are still stocked with crude implements like hoes and cutlasses, they yield too small not even enough to feed the family through the seasons. Post harvest loses is still high, access to market is not within the control of farmers and no access to credits. However, we are about to change all that in Edo State. We are now determined to transform agriculture as a business venture where farmers can look forward to good harvest and profit.
How can you make farming attractive to youths in the state?
We can make farming attractive to youths by transforming it into a profit making business ventures. We can remove the drudgery especially in land preparation, the hardship and the often present problem of uncertainties associated with agriculture. They must have access to credit, improved seeds, mechanization and access to markets. They also need to develop new skills in farm management and operation of agricultural equipment. The youths will be encouraged to go into farming if it is profitable.
How much is the state government committing into agriculture?
A lot of grits, gravitas, goodwill, incentives and raw cash; we will apply the little we have in the right places. We will work with the private sector and other multinational organizations and the federal government to step up our contributions to national food security. We want to be number one in cocoa, oil palm, rubber, rice, citrus, cassava, and aquaculture. We also want to be the main hub in commodity trading and agro processing. Let me commend the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, for his great initiatives and absolute commitment to the transformation of the agric sector. He needs all the support from the private sector especially the banks and the villa in Abuja especially as it affects consistency in policy. I mean if the policy is to stop importation of palm oil or rice, we should implement it without compromise, without looking back.
