WACOT Rice Limited in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is planning to produce over 20,000 tons of paddy rice as part of their rice outgrower expansion project.
The deal would involve the engagement of 5,143 new farmers in rice farming and the creation of 60,000 jobs across Nigeria and West Africa, a statement on the project stated.
WACOT, a subsidiary of TGI Group which is based in Argungu, Kebbi State, will utilise the paddy rice in its 120,000 tons mill.
The statement read, “Through the partnership with USAID, WACOT Rice is registering an additional 5,143 farmers to complement its already existing outgrower network in the state. And they will cultivate over 5,000 additional hectares of land thereby producing over 20,000 tons of paddy which will be utilised at WACOT Rice’s 120,000-ton rice mill in Argungu.
The Deputy Chief of Party for USAID’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (WATIH) project, Mr. Karl LittleJohn, during the co-investment partnership launch with USAID in Argungu said the objective of establishing WACOT in Argungu and the partnership was to create a catalyst for investment and provide grants to more farmers.
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He said, “We want to show that we can create jobs. And we want to also increase trade investment with our partners across West African countries.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of WACOT Rice Limited, Farouk Gumel, said over 2,000 jobs had been created by the company due to the USAID partnership.
He stated that the expansion of the project would give more farmers access to farmland for rice production.
He said, “When the company was established in 2017, we hardly sold our product for the first three months because customers were demanding for foreign rice but today, we steadily sell Nigerian rice and people continue to ask for it. Many people have shown interest in becoming our agents and marketers.”
Earlier, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Bert Leonard, had said that the US government’s partnership with WACOT was to sustain food security and create more jobs in Nigeria.
Leonard said more than $8 million would be injected into the economy through the partnership.
In his remarks, Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the presence of WACOT Rice in the state had improved its economy and attracted new investment from USAID.
He added that many women and their households had benefited from the farmers’ empowerment.
