Bauchi farmers target 50,000 tonnes of sesame seeds

Sesame seed farmers in Bauchi State have mapped out strategies to produce more than 50,000 tonnes of the commodity in 2011.

Illiyasu Gital, programme manager, Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme, disclosed the plan on Tuesday in Bauchi in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mr Gital said that the quantity is expected to be produced from Gololo and Miya producing centres in the state.

He said that last year, farmers at Gololo in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State produced 30,000 tonnes of sesame seeds.


The programme manager said that the seeds were sold to OLAM, a private company involved in the processing of agricultural produce at a cost of N500 million.

He said that OLAM and the state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide 500 participating farmers in Gololo with free seeds and agro-chemicals.
He said that the agrochemicals include: fertiliser, herbicides and pesticides.
Mr Gital told NAN that based on the success recorded last year by the farmers, the company during this year's planting season, provided free seeds and agro-chemical worth millions of naira for 600 selected farmers in Miya town in Ganjuwa Local Government Area.

He said that farmers in Gololo and Miya are expected to produce about 50,000 tonnes of sesame seeds to be purchased by OLAM at a predetermined price.

The programme manager pointed out that some "reasonable" quantity of sesame seeds are also being expected from farmers in all the 20 local government areas of the state under the out-growers scheme.
He said that OLAM has indicated interest in encouraging farmers in the other local government areas of the state to produce sesame seeds by providing them with technical expertise.

Mr Gital said, "Sesame seed is produced in all the 20 local government areas of the state, but we are starting with local government areas in the northern part of the state.

"We will also include three local government areas in the central part before moving to the southern part of the state.
"We are also conducting feasibility studies in the southern part of the state to determine the extent of the quantity and gain margin to be obtained by cultivating the seed in the area." He said that OLAM would also supply cleaning machines to the farmers to enable them add value to their produce in order to attract higher prices.

NAN

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