The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono has commissioned a yam storage facility at the Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi-Shabu- Lafia.
The yam storage facility, which would store about 45–50 Metric tonnes of Yam seed, is estimated to cover 16 hectares of land when planted.
Speaking during the Commissioning Ceremony recently, Alhaji Sabo Nanono noted that the huge output of using clean seed yam will boost production, increase earnings of yam farmers and enhance the export of yam from Nasarawa state.
The Minister said the location of the facility inside the university will immensely add value in teaching, research and income generation for the farmers in the State, adding that the facility will generate about 200 jobs to the value chain.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Suleiman Mohammed disclosed that the facility would be harnessed to support the Federal Government’s efforts towards improving agricultural productivity, promote research and enhance the economic diversification agenda of the federal government.
Professor Mohammed informed that the sum of N35 million was released by the State Government to establish an aeroponics system for seed production and it is also a component of yam value chain.
The Minister in another engagement in the company of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, visited Shabu Integrated Farms, Kokona in Nasarawa State, where he expressed satisfaction with the storage facilities displayed by RIELA International, an Organisation that specializes in manufacturing high quality storage and Processing equipment, planning, engineering, assembling and services for efficient and cost effective solutions of grain handling and preservation.
The Minister was taken through a chain of corn processing from dekenneling the corn from thorough cleaning to producing the corn flour among other products.
The Minister in the company of the Governor of Nassarawa State, Engr. Abdulahi Sule, had earlier paid a visit to the Dangote Sugar Farm housing 68,000 hectares of sugar farm in Tunga, Nassarawa State, well reticulated from river Tunga which when operational will change the sugar narrative of the nation.
Culled from www.tribuneonlineng.com