Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Mohammad Nasir Idris is full of praise for the success of the Argungu Outgrower Expansion Project (AOEP) anchored by WAC0T Rice Subsidiary for attaining over 90 per cent success.
He said this during the closing ceremony of the project yesterday in Abuja adding that the initiative has demonstrated how public-private partnership can accelerate development across Nigeria with 42,800 metric tons of paddy for processing by WACOT Rice Limited (WRL) already produced in Kebbi State.
In his earlier address, the Chairman of WACOT, Mr Farouk Gumel said 10,444 farmers were supported to cultivate 11,232 hectares with yield growth from 2.2 metric tons per hectare to an average of 4.5 tons per hectare.
He said over $15 million in paddy sales was recorded and 42,800 tons of paddy produced for WRL processing.
In 2020, WRL co-invested with the USAID’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub implemented the $10 million Argungu Outgrower Expansion Project (AOEP) across four local government areas of Kebbi State.
The three-year project spanning December 2020 to October 2023 was designed to support over 5,000 smallholder rice farmers with agri-input financing, capacity-building support, yield growth, improved incomes, job creation and guaranteed offtake at harvest.
Governor Idris said Kebbi State is open to embrace any public-private cooperation that will foster the development of the state, noting that the WACOT outgrower scheme has further pushed up the margin of production and created wealth and jobs for the people of the state.
In his remarks, the minister of Budget and National Planning, who is a former governor of the state, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said the project was worthy of emulation, adding that the recovery rate for the outgrower project was 99.9% successful.