Delta donates 6,000 hectares to FG

The statement said the land is located in Abraka and was donated for the High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) nucleus farm, adding, “This initiative was to support the effort of the federal government aimed at massively producing cassava as raw material for cassava bread initiative to reduce Nigeria’s continued dependence on wheat importation,” the statement […]

The statement said the land is located in Abraka and was donated for the High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) nucleus farm, adding, “This initiative was to support the effort of the federal government aimed at massively producing cassava as raw material for cassava bread initiative to reduce Nigeria’s continued dependence on wheat importation,” the statement read in part.
The statement signed by the minister’s Special Assistant on Strategy and Media, Dr Olukayode Oyeleye, quoted Delta State Commissioner for Agriculture, Misan Ukubeyinje, as saying, “Delta State government has concluded plans for a large scale cassava transformation in collaboration with the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Agric and the private sector by the formal acquisition and grant of Certificate of Occupancy to a large expanse of land approximately 4,000 hectares for the cultivation of cassava and processing mill of HQCF. The acquisition of the remaining 2,000 hectares of land will be completed soonest, as the target is 6,000 hectares.”
Dr. Adesina expressed gratitude to the state government, under the leadership of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for this noble gesture, which was the first of its kind from any state in the federation. The minister, while commending Delta State for this move, called on other states to follow suit.
“I was pleasantly delighted, when I arrivred,  to receive the news that the governor of Delta State has already allocated 25 hectares of land for the establishment of the HQCF plant from a total of 6,000 hectares for the development of commercial farms to supply the plant.
“To accelerate the production of HQCF, the government is supporting the private sector to access cheap financing to import and establish 18 large scale cassava-processing plants. One of the plants, with a total capacity of 72,000 metric tons per annum, will be located in Abraka, Delta State,” Dr. Adesina added.