In a bid to ensure Nigeria attains at least 70 per cent self-sufficiency in its sugar requirement, leading manufacturer and a notable player within the fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) industry, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN), has taken the lead in propagating the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) agenda through its sugarcane outgrower scheme.
The Golden Sugar Company Sugar Cane Outgrower Scheme is another integrated, direct and productive response to the Federal Government’s quest to develop the Nigerian sugar industry.
The presentation of the scheme’s pilot edition took place on March 30, 2022, at the Golden Sugar Company’s Sunti Sugar Estate, Niger State, with over 100 attendees, including leaders of the scheme’s participant communities.
Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has participated in the NSMP and Backward Integration Plan (BIP) since its inception in 2012 through its subsidiary, Golden Sugar Company, situated on the Niger River in Niger state.
At Sunti, the company has an area of 22,000 hectares on which a 15,000-hectare sugar estate is being developed.
More than N73 billion has already been invested to establish the sugar estate of 3,500ha of irrigated sugarcane and a sugar factory with a 3,000 tonnes per day milling capacity. Once the development is completed, 150,000 tonnes of sugar will be produced per year.
Speaking on the processes involved in attaining the results by the out-growers, Anlo Du Pisani, the General Manager, Sunti Sugar Estate, said, “Prior to the progressive agricultural interventions by FMN, there was no sugarcane cultivation in the area.
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“By establishing the Outgrower Scheme, local farmers now see that sugar cane is easy to grow and as well a lucrative crop. With the Golden Sugar Company estate and sugar mill on their doorstep, technical experience and support are on hand and there is a guaranteed market for their crop.
“The result has been beyond expectation. We have trained hundreds of sugarcane farmers under the out-grower scheme and have sent some to Malawi for training to scale up their output.”
He stated further, “The pilot edition of the Golden Sugar Company Outgrower Scheme had 29 participatory communities, each community was allocated an area ranging from one hectare to two hectares with an average of 1.45 hectares per community.
“An overall of 42 hectares of land area was cultivated with sugarcane out of which 14.2 hectares was for plant and 27.8 hectares was for ratoon. At the end of the planting season, a total of 3,291 tonnes of sugarcane was delivered by the local farmers as harvest.
“The stated result succinctly depicts that the Golden Sugar Company Outgrower Scheme was a huge success, not just for the group but also a proven profitable venture for communities that participated in the programme.”
The company said it is expanding the outgrower scheme area to cover 110 hectares for the coming season and plan to accelerate the outgrower scheme from the base.
Commenting on the transformative nature of the programme, FMN’s Director, Group Strategy and Stakeholder Relations, Mr Sadiq Usman, said, “At FMN, we are greatly invested in feeding the nation every day and the outgrower scheme is a pragmatic example of our commitment to Nigeria and the citizens.
“As a group, we are once again leading the industry in line with the implementation of the National Sugar Master Plan mandates.
“The results of the outgrower scheme pilot edition depict that first, farming and, in this case, sugarcane farming is a profitable venture, especially when an inclusive investor and industry player like FMN orchestrates the process.
“Secondly, we would continue to work with the Federal Government and the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) to ensure food and sugar self-sufficiency in Nigeria.
“Finally, we beckon on more local farmers to key into the Golden Sugar Company Outgrower scheme as all existing results and feedback has proven that the programme is an inclusive investment with a shared profit model.”
Top performers in the pilot edition of the scheme were awarded during the event, to encourage dedicated and committed participation in the programme.
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FMN drives national sugar master plan agenda through outgrower scheme
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