FG Signs N25bn Contract For School Feeding

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh has disclosed that the Federal Government has signed a N25 billion contract with Tuns Farms to facilitate egg production for school feeding in the country.

The project called National Production Scheme (NEGPRO), is aimed at increasing the output of egg production to 50 million table eggs daily by 2018 and create 1 million jobs.

According to the Chairman of Tuns Farms, Olatunde Badmus, the project would be funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria, through the Bank of Industry with assistance of the agriculture ministry.

“The ministry appointed Tuns as consultant and manager of the scheme, to create 1 million employment through the scheme and produce 50 million table eggs daily by 2018,” Badmus said.

“The Ministry of Agriculture will assist the BOI to access N25 billion from the CBN under the agricultural scheme. The BOI will select some commercial banks that will participate in it and loans under this programme would be at single digit rate,” he added.

Ogbeh expressed government’s readiness to assist in the programme, stating, “We are ready to give the necessary support to make the farms grow and be able to grow others.”

The minister hinted that the plan is to give every child at least three eggs in a week or an egg per day in order to combat malnutrition. He also added that the “huge school feeding programme would ensure that these children have a greater sources of protein in their diet.”

As part of the terms of the contract, Tuns Farms is expected to recommend eligible entrepreneurs to access the facilities through the Bank of Industry. The company will also develop customised and standard feed concentrates for the scheme.