RMRDC PRESENTS IMPROVED SEEDLINGS TO KOGI FARMERS

Determined to carve a niche for the country in the congested competitive global market of local resource-based products manufacturing, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has presented 2 tons of imported Sudanese hybrid sesame seed variety to Kogi State farmers. The Kenana – 4 variety which was distributed to selected Sesame Seed farmers in the state was targeted towards boosting the local production and increasing its supply to the local confectionary industries as an essential aggregate for the production of biscuits, cakes bread and other related products.   

The Sesame Seeds, also known as Beniseeds, was first imported from Sudan in 2006 by RMRDC. It was donated to farmers in Jigawa state in the same year for a first phase multiplication trial. Based on feed-backs, the multiplication programme achieved its billing as the imported variety showed better performance over the local variety in terms of output and quality.  

Making the presentation on behalf of the Council at the Children’s Amusement Park in Lokoja recently, Her Excellency, the First Lady of Kogi State, Hajia Zainab Idris said that the white-seeded improved Sesame  Seed variety, was an alternative to the imported wheat because of its colour and low oil content even as she encouraged the confectionary and allied industrial sectors in the state to embrace its usage in the production of bread, cake and biscuits, among other things. She further stressed that Sudan exported predominantly white-seeded Sesame to the international market thus holding the largest segment of the export market, whilst maintaining the position as Africa’s largest exporter.

The first lady who was represented at the occasion by the wife of the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Her Excellency, Mrs.Grace Philips Haruna, also commended the Council’s intervention at improving the competitive level of Sesame Seed production in Nigeria through the introduction of the highly priced white-seeded Kenana – 4 variety. She  said that the presentation signaled the formal joining of Kogi State farmers to the white-seeded Sesame production chain in Nigeria.

The Kogi First Lady described the Council’s efforts in this regard as a watershed in the efforts by the Federal Government towards the provision of technical support in the country for boosting the local production and export of agro products in Nigeria. She therefore charged the beneficiaries and other stakeholders to utilize the opportunity to boost their production level in order to achieve the aspirations of the Federal Government for improved Sesame propagation and utilization in Kogi State

Earlier in his address, the Director General of the Council, Engr. (Prof) Peter Azikiwe Onwualu said RMRDC was committed to broadening the raw materials base of the Kogi State. He hoped that it would set the agenda for the establishment of more downstream industries for the production of value-added manufacturing in the state. All theses he hoped would help shift the current emphasis on exportation of raw Sesame Seeds to value added production for exports in the long run.

The DG who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Planning Information and Strategy Department, Dr. Raymond Ihenacho commended the Kogi Sate Government for being responsive to federal Government initiatives to facilitate the industrialization of the state. “It is on record that the state has always shown very impressive response to sensitization and training workshops aimed at empowering the indigenes of the state economically.” The DG said.

Prof. Onwualu also said that the Council would embark on Raw Materials inventory, Promotion and forecast programme for Kogi state, which was expected to last, in the first phase, for a period of five years. He assured that the women folk in the state would benefit immensely from it especially in the area of capacity building for the downstream agro processing and modern packaging technologies. He therefore appealed to Her Excellency, the wife of the state Governor, for support and cooperation in the Council’s effort to facilitate the industrial development of the state.