Benin Republic To Partner with Labana Farm On Rice Cultivation
THE government of Republic of Benin has indicated willingness to partner with the Labana Rice Farm to cultivate about 30,000 hectares of land in the country close to Nigeria border.
Benin Republic team, led by the Ambassador in Nigeria and a senator of Northern Senatorial District, Issa Saleh Salihu, visited the 10,000 hectares of Labana Rice Farm at Gante village in Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State and expressed the desire of the country to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the establishment of rice farm in Benin Republic.
Speaking with newsmen at the weekend, chairman of Labana Farms Ltd, Alhaji Abubakar Abba Aliero, said the proposed partnership with Benin Republic is a welcome development.
“Benin Republic wants Labana to replicate what is on ground here in their home country. They would provide the land and security as well. They have come to see the capacity of our milling plants as well as the vast hectares of land of our rice farm,” he said.
According to Aliero, since the establishment of the farm five years ago, it has continued to produce no fewer that 700,000 tonnes of paddy rice annually with little manpower but highly mechanised method.
He stated that as part of its corporate social responsibility, the farm provides free seedlings, fertiliser and pesticides to the host communities to engage in more production of rice at their various farms.
