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The Nasarawa State Government says it was establishing a food processing zone in the state to mitigate post-harvest loses.
Governor Umaru Al-Makura, made this known while receiving a preliminary report from the committee instituted for the project, on Tuesday, in Lafia.
The governor said creation of the food processing zone would help to curb food wastage from the huge harvest at the end of every cropping season.
“The establishment of the processing zone is to create the needed value chain activities in the agro-industrial sector as a prerequisite for security in the state.
“Our resolve on the project is informed by the quest to harness farm produce right from cultivation to consumption,” Al-Makura added.
He said that large warehouses are being constructed across all local government areas in the state where government intends store surplus crops bought from farmers to be resold later to citizens at subsidized rate.
“Government will collaborate with farmers at all levels to buy up surplus crops harvest to avert wastage and even encourage farmers to produce more.
“The stored food will later be resold to the people at subsidized rate in an event of low crop yield, while some will be routed to the processing zone for value chain addition,” he said.
Earlier, Jameel Zakari, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resource, said the committee has identified a site for the establishment of the food processing zone in Lafia.
Zakari, also the Chairman of the Committee, said that it had done the environmental impact assessment of the location and found it suitable for the project.
He expressed optimism that the project would be of great benefit to the people of the state, especially farmers. (NAN)
