A rice mill worth N36million, installed by the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), and the TY Danjuma Foundation has been commissioned for farmers in Ruwanyawo community of Nasarawa State.
The 300kg per hour milling capacity plant, the first of its kind in the country, is the fallout of a gender action learning system of NANTS in the community. It is expected to benefit over 5, 000 rice farmers in the community, having a combined 20-kilometer stretch of land.
President of NANTS, Mr. Ken Ukaoha, said the mill would alleviate the suffering of the people.
“It costs over N1,000 to transport a bag of paddy rice to the closest mill located in Lafia, and the same amount to bring it back to the village. Most times, they are forced to sell in Lafia at a very low price because they do not have an alternative. Even after milling, they are also faced with the challenge of poor quality as a result of stones in the rice,” Ukaoha said.
He said the mill is capable of separating husks, bran, stones, and broken pieces of rice. It can also polish the rice. And there is an installed vacuum pressure rice steam boiler, multiple crops reaper and thresher. This is in addition to a 40 KVA generator installed to power the machines, as well as a borehole facility that would help solve the problem of water in the community, he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of the TY Danjuma Foundation, Dr. Sunday Udo, said over 500 female rice farmers would benefit from the project through improved post-harvest processing skills and modern technology.
“Nigeria is a big importer of rice, while the ability of domestic farmers to compete favourably is quite low. The current economic realities have made it more important to invest in the capacity of low-income earning producers in order to improve lives, boost employment and productivity domestically,” Udo said.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
