Olam provides seeds, fertiliser to Bauchi sesame farmers

Olam Nigeria Limited has provided seeds and interest-free fertiliser to over 650 sesame farmers in Bauchi State. This was disclosed by the Kano Regional Manager of OLAM Nigeria Limited, Mr Ronsha Tated, during the launching of OLAM Community Resource Services in  Ningi Local Government Area. Tated said Bauchi State sesame farmers were to enjoy free […]

Olam Nigeria Limited has provided seeds and interest-free fertiliser to over 650 sesame farmers in Bauchi State.

This was disclosed by the Kano Regional Manager of OLAM Nigeria Limited, Mr Ronsha Tated, during the launching of OLAM Community Resource Services in  Ningi Local Government Area.

Tated said Bauchi State sesame farmers were to enjoy free seeds and interest-free fertilizer  for the 2017 farming season.

He said the company wanted to increase the production capacity of sesame through strong collaboration with the Bauchi State government through the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP).

Tated further stated that the relationship between OLAM and BSADP to improve sesame production started since 2008, adding that,  “at that time, OLAM found that the production yield capacity in the state was 264kg/ha, but now that OLAM is collaborating with the state, the production has increased to 850kg/ha.”

He stated that each farmer would collect one bag each of NPK and Urea and 4kg of sesame seeds to cultivate on one hectare of land.

He noted that the company purchased over 11,000 metric tonnes of sesame worth N3.3bn from Bauchi State farmers, which he said had directly and otherwise created jobs and increased food security in the state, and that as part of its community relations service, OLAM drilled boreholes in Miya in Ganjuwa Local Government Area in addition to the training of farmers from over 500 associations in the state.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Barrister Yakubu Kirfi, commended OLAM for its support for sesame and other farmers in the state over the years.

He also called on OLAM to establish a sesame value addition centre in the state and urged it to continue ploughing back some of their gains to the rural communities through community development projects such as potable water, feeder roads, education and health facilities that would have great impact in the communities they worked with.

 In his vote of thanks, Chairman, Sesame Farmers Association, Bauchi State chapter, Aliyu Salihu Sarkin Doguwa, commended OLAM and the Bauchi State government for the intervention.

He assured the collaborators on the judicious use of the inputs and also promised to maintain quality control.