Sokoto Partners Foreign Firms On Food Output

In a bid to maximise its agricultural potential, the Sokoto State government has entered into partnerships with reputable companies, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Mohammed Kilgori, has said.

Kilgori told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, that the initiative was in tandem with the ongoing transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

He said the partnerships were being developed with companies from Switzerland, Argentina and Turkey for various commodities.

“Sokoto State government is developing partnerships with some reputable companies across the globe; and companies are coming from Switzerland to participate in the production, processing and marketing of rice.

“Another company from Brazil is coming to partner with us in joint agri-business, expanding different food value chains for food production, processing and integration so that we can expand production across the state.

“We are also working in the area of animal production; we are partnering with a company from Argentina on the improvement of cattle breeds, production of milk, beef and by-products, processing and marketing them.”

The commissioner also listed Turkey as another country with which the state government was discussing partnership.

He said the government was determined to consolidate the initiative for the benefit of the people of the state.

Kilgori said that 10 per cent of the state’s Fadama land covering about 400,000 hectares which could grow rice, wheat, assorted vegetables and tree crops was being utilised.

The commissioner said the partnership would also enhance the utilisation of the resource.

He said the state government had discussed the initiative with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the CBN and other critical stakeholders to ensure that the partnerships succeeded within a short time.

He said the state government had provided N5 billion to support agricultural development in the 2011 fiscal year.

The commissioner said the state government planned to augment the allocation through a supplementary budget, as well as other financial sources.