FMN rewards outstanding sugarcane outgrowers
Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) has commended sugarcane outgrowers for their outstanding performance in the last harvest season, stating that the scheme was key to the success of the federal government’s backward integration policy on sugar. Mr Anlo Du Pisani, General Manager of Golden Sugar Company, Sunti, in Niger State, a subsidiary of FMN, gave […]
Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) has commended sugarcane outgrowers for their outstanding performance in the last harvest season, stating that the scheme was key to the success of the federal government’s backward integration policy on sugar.
Mr Anlo Du Pisani, General Manager of Golden Sugar Company, Sunti, in Niger State, a subsidiary of FMN, gave the commendation when the company hosted its outgrowers from 29 communities at the company’s sugar estate on Wednesday.
“I was really impressed by the results you achieved and I believe that if we continue like this, it will be the key for the success of the sugar industry for Nigeria and the company cannot do it on its own,” he said.
He disclosed that in the high crop season, the company employs about 5000 people at its current capacity and 75% of those employed are drawn from the host communities.
He noted that this year was the highest years of planting and that up to 450 women up from 100 were employed daily by the company as planters.
He further announced that the company was in the process of increasing its area under cultivation by 260% this year and train more people as well as provide input support, extension services and irrigation to as many as would be interested in growing sugarcane in the community.
He thanked the communities and Golden Sugar team for working together to attain the current success of the outgrower scheme, urging them to continue to explore the potential of doing more.
Earlier in his remarks, GSC Head of Agric, Mr Raj Kumar, noted that the company has continued to support and motivate the outgrowers since the scheme was started three years ago on 42 hectares of land, adding that the company will increase land under cultivation to 110 hectares this year.
The high point of the event was the presentation of awards and cash gifts to various communities for their outstanding performances in two categories: plant crop and ratoon crop.
Under the plant crop category, the Rabbandaeshi community came first while the Koshaba community came 2nd, and under the ratoon crop category, the Ndanawun community came first while the Rabakede community placed 2nd.