By Cecilia Ijuo
The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tiamin Rice company for processing and sale of rice locally and internationally.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Managing Director of Tiamin Rice company Mr Aliyu Ibrahim in Abuja on Wednesday.
Aliyu said the initiative was aimed at cultivation of quality rice paddy by RIFAN while Tiamin processes and packages with state-of-the-art milling technology for sale locally and internationally, particularly to Egypt.
He said the MoU, which would be operational for a period of two years was signed at the company’s 600-metric tonnes per hour capacity mill in Bauchi State.
“RIFAN and Tiamin share a common agenda in the area of rice farming and milling.
“This is to ensure a sustainable supply chain management of rice under a partnership that seeks to produce , mill and package processed rice of the highest quality for export and local trading.
“With a combined capacity of 920 tonnes per hour from its two mills in Kano and Bauchi states, Tiamin Rice is one of the largest producers of rice in Nigeria,” he said.
According to Aliyu, the company also has a 10,000 hectare rice farm in Udubo, Bauchi State.
Accordimg to him, large-scale wet and dry season farming takes place in the farm with state-of-the-art agricultural machinery.
“Although, the company has benefited from six different development finance interventions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He said the intervention was to the tune of over N20 billion, adding that the company had successfully repaid four of the intervention funds.
Aliyu said Tiamin Rice company was the first corporate entity to access the Private Sector-Lead Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (P-AADS) funds from CBN. (NAN)
