Dangote cement empowers 60 farmers in agric programme – Official
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As part of efforts to boost food production in the rainy season, Dangote Cement announced that no fewer than 60 farmers have participated in its empowerment programme at the Ibese host communities.
In a statement on Thursday, the company noted that the empowerment programme will help strengthen their capacity for modern agriculture practices to boost crop production.
The company management explained that the maiden edition of the empowerment programme was specifically targeted at maize cropping.
Azad Nawabuddin, the Ibese Plant Director, said the programme involved farmers drawn from all the 17 host communities of the cement company and that it was part of the community development agreement signed by both parties recently.
He added that the company would always be ready to help the people especially farmers in any way possible to boost food production.
Mr Nawabuddin told the farmers that the cement company in collaboration with some expert consultants mapped out practical training on capacity development on good agriculture practices for soil fertility and to maximize maize cropping.
He said the company would not stop at the level of training but would also support the farmers with farm clearing, distribution of farm inputs such as seeds, herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers, agricultural extension as well as the required route to the market.
Giving the modalities for the elected farmers, Mr Nawabuddin explained that to ensure maximum impact, only farmers whose farm size was not more than one hectare at the commencement of the programme and who have been in active farming in the last three years were considered for the project, organized in partnership with an indigenous Agric-support services firm – Midstream Agro.
“Ibese Plant host communities are endowed with vast and arable land as well as good climatic conditions necessary for sustainable agricultural ventures hence, the Company’s support to the farmers for improved output with greater efficiency,” he said.
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He assured that Dangote Cement will continue to offer support to the farmers for the socio-economic transformation of the communities, as spelt out in the CDA, which he promised will be followed to the letter.
Speaking during the close-out meeting of the empowerment initiative, the Lead Consultant, Midstream Agro, Olumide Oladipupo, thanked the company for investing in the development of farmers in its host communities while advocating for more novel initiatives such as the one championed by Dangote Cement.
“The need for other corporate organisations to join the conscious efforts to drive more people into agriculture across the host communities cannot be over-emphasized as it is one of the most effective ways to reduce unemployment and over-dependence on such companies for survival,” Mr Oladipupo said.
Abisekan Idoola of Abule Oke community, one of the farmers, noted that apart from the direct benefit from the programme, it afforded them the platform to cross-fertilise ideas and share best practices, which has helped to greatly improve the performances of their various farms.
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