Dangote to unveil 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme
Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, in its effort to reduce rice importation and create job opportunities for the rural communities inhabitants in Nigeria, is set to unveil in Sokoto State, it’s multi-million naira 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme.
President of the Group, Aliko Dangote disclosed at the weekend that the Company will on Wednesday, flag off with a pilot project of 500 ha by Gonroyo dam, in Goronyo community. Gonroyo dam is the second largest in the country, after Kainji.
The flag off ceremony which will be performed by the Governor of the state, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa who will witness seedlings being distributed to the primary local farmers who will in turn plant the seed after which Dangote Rice Company will purchase from them for milling and final processing.
Sokoto State is the second after Jigawa out of the 14 states spread across Northern Nigeria where Dangote Rice plans to operate outgrower scheme to empower local farmers and create job opportunities for community dwellers and reduce migration to the cities.
Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) estimates that rice demand in Nigeria reached 6.3 million MT in 2015, with only 2.3 million MT of that demand satisfied by local production.
This local production shortfall leaves a gap of 4.0 million MT that is currently being filled through formal importation of rice or illegal imports over land borders.
By year-end 2017, Dangote Rice plans to produce 225,000 MT of parboiled, milled white rice. Also, Dangote plans to have 25,000 Ha under rice cultivation across 3 sites in Northern Nigeria
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