Establishment Of Sugar Factories Will Enhance Devt In Jigawa – Farmers

sugarcane

Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar, a large scale farmer in Hadejia, Jigawa, on Sunday said the establishment of sugar factories in the state would provide job opportunities and enhance speedy development of the state.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dangote Group and Crystal Sugar Company had indicated interest to establish sugar factories in Kaugama and Hadejia, respectively.

Fielding questions from NAN in Dutse, Abubakar said establishing the factories would provide market for the sugarcane produced in the state and enhance revenue generation for the government.

He said the companies would, when established, help the state government in the provision of schools, access roads, potable water, hospitals and other social amenities as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

Another farmer in Kaugama, Malam Muhammad Haruna, said the establishment of the factories would boost sugarcane production.

The Jigawa government had in 2000 introduced sugarcane farming covering about 5,000 hectres in Hadejia to feed its factory, which was later abandoned.

As part of effort to revisit the idea, the state government in 2013 sold the abandoned sugar factory to Crystal Sugar Company, as well as invited Dangote Group to establish another factory in Kaugauma.

The Chairman, Crystal Sugar Company, Alhaji Muhammad Abacha, during a recent visit to the state governor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, said the factory, when completed, would produce refined sugar, animal feeds and ethanol.

Abacha also said that the factory would generate 150 megawatts of electricity, as well as engage about 30,000 workers.

He said the company would, however, require 30,000 hectres to cultivate sugarcane to feed the factory with raw material.

Similarly, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman, Dangote Group, said the firm would invest 250 million US Dollars in the proposed sugar factory.

Dangote, who disclosed this during a visit to the governor, said the project was expected to take off this year.
He also requested 20,000 hectres to produce sugarcane to enable the factory produce 150,000 metric tons of refined sugar annually.

He said 10,000 farmers will be engaged in sugarcane cultivation, while 13,000 indigenes would be employed, adding that by-products from the sugarcane would be used to produce ethanol for vehicles, animal feeds and ferltiliser. (NAN)