Nasarawa, firm partner to cultivate rice farm

Nasarawa State Government says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Azman Rice Mills and Farms Limited for the cultivation of rice on 20, 400 hectares of land in Toto Local Government Area of the state.

The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, disclosed this on Wednesday while presiding over the ceremony in the Government House, Lafia.

He explained that all the designated areas had been mapped out by the state Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, saying that all the affected communities had given full consent for the commencement of the project.

He said, “The major reason of signing the MOU is to bring major commercial farmers to the state and create job opportunities for the teeming youths in the state.”

According to the governor, the local people will be employed and engaged in the activities taking place within the context of the programme.

He, however, maintained that all legal fees pertaining to the tripartite negotiations between the host community, government and the company would be settled by Azman Group, adding that full compensation would be paid before cultivation.

He disclosed that the sum of N30,000 per hectare had been agreed upon, amounting to N612m for a lease period of 45 years.

The governor also said the firm would consider indigenes of the communities as its first line of employment, adding that the farm would be a testing ground for various species of rice that would attract the attention of the international community for further investment.

The General Managing Director, Azman Rice Mill and Farms Limited, Mr Umar Abdulmana, said that the company would pay a compensation of N372m each to landowners of  rice project in the state, commending the state governor for finding the company worthy of the project.