Olam
Nigeria has been commended by Governor, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, for
paving the way through its agricultural investments and reforms in the country.
El-Rufai,
who was speaking recently at the ground-breaking ceremony for a Tomato
processing factory, held at Kangimi, in Igabi Local Government Area of the
state, stated that it was because of the activities of organizations like Olam
that Kaduna State had become a worthy ground for business, attracting both
local and international organizations.
The
governor noted that firms like Olam demonstrate why Kaduna State is ranked as
the Number One destination for doing business in Nigeria, by the World Bank’s
Doing Business Report.
He
said: “The Kaduna State Government welcomes this latest investment in the
agricultural potentials of our state. Olam showed the way back in 2017 when
President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned its Hatchery and Feed Mill project that
is sited in our Chikun Local Government Area.”
Olam’s
Feed Mill, Hatchery and Breeder Farms, located along the Kaduna -Abuja
Expressway, is a huge investment and the largest such facility in West Africa.
The feed mill sources over 150,000 tons of Corn and 75,000 tons of soybean from
local farmers, which has encouraged many smallholder farmers to increase the
production of these crops. The large silo and flat warehousing capacity allows
farmers to sell their produce on harvest, without having to worry about
storage.
Availability
of Broiler (meat-producing birds) and Layer (egg-laying birds) day-old chicks
was the biggest barrier for Nigerian farmers, esp. in North, to participate in
the poultry sector. Olam now supplies several million, high quality
day-old-chicks every month to small poultry farmers, which has helped revive
many closed farms and develop new ones. Olam’s poultry feed, especially Broiler
feed, has led to farmers gaining substantial productivity gains, unlocking
profitability for them without increasing selling prices of eggs and chicken.
Olam’s
best-in-class Fish feed, produced at its second feed mill location in Kwara
state, has promoted a mini revolution amongst small fish farmers in Northern
Nigeria. Starting from an insignificant level, this sector has made great
strides and is now a viable farming option for many local youths.
