Food Sufficiency: Nasarawa Targets 1.2m Bags of Rice from State-Owned Farm

By David Odama

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Thursday announced that the state is producing over 1.2 million bags of rice from the state-owned rice farms in Jangwa and Agwatashi.

The governor made this known in Awe Local Government Area during an inspection tour of the ongoing rice harvest.

Sule, who expressed delight over the harvest that began about two weeks ago, revealed that more than 600,000 bags had already been harvested, adding that additional bags would be realized within the next two weeks when the harvest is expected to be completed.

It would be recalled that the state government acquired 10,000 hectares of land for rice cultivation, but only 3,300 hectares were cultivated.

He noted that the government plans to cultivate more—if not all—of the available land in the next farming season.

The governor added that the state has already begun transporting rice from the farm to Abuja and Lokoja in Kogi State for milling and branding.

Sule further explained that the state entered into a partnership with Silvex International, a leading rice processing company in the country.

He said the partnership involves Silvex International purchasing rice directly from the state’s farm and packaging it under the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company (NASACCO) brand.

According to him, the rice—marketed as “NASACCO Gold”—is expected to enhance the visibility and marketability of the state’s rice products toward improving food security in the country.

“We will soon launch the NASACCO Rice in Abuja after the harvest of this year’s produce and its milling,” Sule added.

He further stated that once the harvest is concluded, the government would begin clearing the remaining portion of the land in preparation for the next farming season.

Sule disclosed that the state has put necessary machinery in place to ensure the sustainability of the farm beyond the tenure of the present administration, given its importance to food security and job creation due to its extensive value chain.

He appreciated the host communities, security agencies, state officials, partners, and farm workers for their contributions from the beginning of the season to the harvest period.

The governor also said the state has aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s plan to transform the agricultural sector to ensure job creation and food security nationwide.