President/CEO, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote
has hired a Brazilian agricultural expert to replicate in
Nigeria the model that Brazil used to transform the
country from a net importer of rice in the year 2000
to a net exporter in the year of 2009.
In a statement, the company said that Mr. Lulu Carlos,
the Brazilian, has already started work in the country
as Special Adviser to Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Rice and
Coordinator of Dangote Rice Farm Ltd’s out growers’
scheme.
The company will conduct pilot test in Hago-Fadama, Kafin
Hausa and Auyo community in Jigawa state.
It was further learned that the company has provided
small hold farmers in these communities with quality
inputs (certified seeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals and
petrol), improved agricultural practices and
technology to increase yield and produce quality rice
paddy which would also be bought back from them by
Dangote Rice Limited.
Said Carlos: “We are happy to start the first phase of
the out growers bloc of 200 hectares, shared among 8
communities. I’ve seen the same project born in my
country, Brazil, whereby from 2.5metric tons in the
beginning to today where we reached 9 tons of paddy
rice per hectare in productivity.
“This has transformed my country (Brazil) from a net
importer of Rice in the year 2000 to a net exporter in
the year of 2009.
This was achieved through a big out grower scheme
in the rice region, which today involves thousands of
independent farmers responsible for 80 percent of the
12 million tons locally produced rice and a small
number of large Commercial farms supplying the
remaining 20 percent,” he said.
He continued: Alhaji Aliko has instructed me to
conduct the project here for at least 30 percent from
out growers and 70 percent from our commercial farm
to be established in the state. But this is not our
limit. We are convinced that this equation will have
more and more out growers’ participation in the
future, due to very good and welcome response we
are getting from all the communities we are dealing
with.
“We are bringing to the people top quality seeds,
fertilizers and chemicals as well the training and
teaching the best and most modern agricultural
practices, to enable you to boost your productivity
and quality of your rice. We are also committed to
roll out the scheme to cover another 1,000 hectares
for the coming rainy season in June / July, using the
experience of this first plot to guide our progress.”
President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote,
noted that aside the out growers’ aspect of the
investment, Dangote Rice is planning to plant
approximately 150,000 hectares of long grain white
rice and produce near one million tons of high quality
par boiled white rice for sale into the Nigerian
market.
"Our internal policy within Dangote Rice Ltd is to
procure 30 percent of our rice production from local
farmers who will be developed into out grower
groups. These out growers will be simultaneously
developed alongside our commercial farming
operations," he said.
Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Badaru Muhammed
Abubakar thanked Dangote for the choice of Jigawa as
the pilot state for the project.
He assured Dangote of his supports in making any
policy and intervention that will make the investment
profitable and generate jobs for the teeming
population of the state.
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