By James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono has commissioned the yam storage facility at the Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
He said the facility has capacity to store between 45 – 50 Metric Tonnes of yam seed and is estimated to cover 16 hectares of land when planted.
Speaking during the ceremony, the minister noted that the huge output of using clean seed yam would boost production, increase earnings of yam farmers and enhance the export of yam from the state.
He said the location of the facility inside the university would immensely add value to teaching, research and income generation for farmers in the state, adding that the facility will generate about 200 jobs to the value chain.
However, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed, commended the minister and his team for commissioning the facility.
He pointed out that the sum of N35 million was released by the state government to establish an aeroponics system for seed production – a component of yam value chain.
He added 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.
Separately, Nanono, also visited Shabu Integrated Farms, Kokona where he expressed satisfaction with the storage facilities displayed by RIELA International, an organisation that specialised in manufacturing high quality storage and processing equipment, planning, engineering, assembling and services for efficient and cost effective solutions of grain handling and preservation.
Earlier, he paid a visit to the Dangote Sugar Farm housing 68,000 hectares of sugar farm in Tunga, Nassarawa State.
The project is expected to change the sugar narrative when operational.
