Olam launches N300m investment to set up community seed enterprises

OLAM Nigeria, through its subsidiary, Crown Flour Mills (CFM), has launched a N300m investment to set up community seed enterprises with the sole aim of inceasing wheat production.

Speaking during the virtual launch of the project, Managing Director, Crown Flour Mills, Ashish Pande, said: “To ensure the long-term viability of the wheat sector in Nigeria, it is critical to identify and support the development of high-yielding local wheat varieties. This project will further stimulate the Federal Government’s drive towards the attainment of economic growth, the country’s agricultural research capabilities, employment generation, community development and the economic empowerment of women in Nigeria.”

In his remarks on the partnership, Principal Research Officer, Lake Chad Research Institute, Dr Kachalla Kyari Mala, said: “The Institute is delighted to be a part of this intervention, as it represents a laudable private-sector financial support and contribution to all the work done and other ongoing research endeavours by the LCRI in the area of wheat development.”

The project which is expected to run for 10 years is also targeted at strengthening agricultural production in northern Nigeria’s wheat farming belt and underlines Olam’s commitment to supporting the country’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in food production.

This wheat value-chain project is the outcome of extensive high-level consultations with key stakeholders, following the successful inaugural Olam Green Land Webinar Series held in March.

The project involves a partnership with key stakeholders including the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), and Senior Scientist, Durum Wheat, breeder of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Dr Filippo M Bassi.

The project will be about a trial of new heat-tolerant varieties of wheat and improved agronomic practices using a participatory approach that directly engages farmers.

Periodic feedback sessions will be scheduled between the women farmers, the research organisations and the value chain stakeholders on the status of cultivation to identify areas for change and innovation. This simple concept of “seeds and thoughts” is aimed at facilitating the adoption of new technologies and increasing economic opportunities for rural women.

The “community-based or village-based seed enterprises” to be employed by Olam on this project is a scalable strategy developed originally for Ethiopia by ICARDA’s scientists, where it has shown great success. ICARDA had since expanded its application to the river systems of Sudan, Senegal and Mauritania.

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