Rice farming in Nigeria: how the Olam group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity.

Rice farming in Nigeria: how the OLAM group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity. Olam is developing a 10,000 hectare fully irrigated paddy farm on greenfield site in Ondorie, Nasarawa State. The farm is expected to yield 10 MT per hectare (over two annual crop cycles), based on four varieties of high-yield rice tested with the West African Rice Development Association. 4,351 hectares are already under cultivation, with a further 3,000 hectares on target for 2018/19. Up to 1000 workers are employed on the farm depending on seasonality. At the heart of the rice farm is a mechanised rice milling facility. The state of the art mill incorporates Satake milling technology and Italian par boiling technology. The mill has a capacity to process 105,000 mts of Rice per annum and the Only ISO 22000 FSMS and FSSC certified rice processing company in Nigeria. The rice-growing communities in Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna States are supported by Olam with group formation, training and all agri-inputs on credit in order to improve their own paddy yields and revenues with assured buy back system. Over 5000 farmers including women are currently engaged in the programme with an area of 5563 ha, with a target of 16,000 by 2018, ultimately supplying 30-40% of the mill’s capacity. Olam buys paddy from all producing states, controls quality and hires transport to factory. This is how the Olam group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity