Nigerian company, Labana Rice Mills has been granted 30,000 hectares of land by Benin Republic Government for the cultivation of rice in that country.
The general manager of the company, Abdullahi Idris-Zuru, disclosed the report and said the company would, in 2022, finance farmers in the country through the Benin Republic government, to produce 20,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice during the dry season.
“A total of 30,000 hectares of farmland are being made available in the Benin Republic to Labana Rice Mills for the cultivation of rice. These resolutions were made during a joint meeting of Beninous Government officials with Labana Rice Mills delegation to Cotonou, the country’s capital, last weekend. The meeting with the Labana delegation led by the chairman, Abubakar Abbah-Adamu, was chaired by the Benin Minister of Agriculture, Gaston Dossouhoui,” Mr Idris-Zuru said.
Production rate
He added that the Beninouis government granted the farmland after an assessment of the company’s rice mills and farms in Kebbi, Nigeria.
“The report has convinced the government of Labana Rice Mills’ capacity to be a reliable partner in agriculture,” the general manager added.
He said that the chairman of the company expressed his gratitude for the trust and confidence the Benin government had in Labana rice mills and the government and people of Nigeria. About 50% of the rice consumed in Benin is imported rice, mainly from Asia. The local rice is not popular: supply is not reliable and its physical quality is weak (presence of impurities like small pebbles, chaff residues and high levels of broken rice).
