The Katsina State Government under the State Investment Promotion Agency has announced a pilot agricultural investment with private sector investors for the establishment of an agro-allied processing factory with an integrated out-grower scheme in Tashar Bala community in Batagrava Local Government Area of the state.
The major pilot agricultural investment under the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investment (FRILIA) underlines the renewed focus of the administration of Dikko Umaru Radda to attract sustainable private sector participation in the agribusiness sector.
The Director-General of the Katsina Investment Promotion Agency (KIPA), Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi, while briefing some selected journalists in Katsina on Tuesday, disclosed that the state government had constituted Frilia Operational and Technical Committees to ensure its hitch-free operation.
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According to him, it is designed to bring smallholder farmers into structured agricultural markets, the initiative after the state government issued an executive order formally adopting the FRILIA framework in line with international best practices on responsible land governance, community inclusion and investor protection.
He explained that the project will create employment opportunities, facilitate skill and technology transfer, improve market access for farmers and integrate local producers into the agricultural value chain through a structured out-grower arrangement.
Jikamshi said the state government had conducted a series of capacity building workshops with key stakeholders, including traditional leaders, to strengthen institutional preparedness for land-intensive agricultural investment, inclusive economic growth and responsible land governance.
“The Government of Katsina State has announced a pilot investment with private sector investors for the establishment of an agro-allied processing facility consisting of an integrated out-grower located at Tasher Bala village in Katsina State.
“This announcement follows the Katsina State Government issuing an Executive Order adopting the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investment (FRILIA) in line with global best practices on responsible investment, land governance and community inclusion.
“The pilot project underlines Katsina State’s commitment to responsible land governance, inclusive economic growth and enhancing investor confidence and is expected to serve as a scalable model for sustainable agricultural investment across the state,” he added.
He then said that the initiative builds on commitments made during the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, where the government had unveiled an investment of N3.5 billion by TORQ Agro Allied for an ultra-modern poultry farm with hatchery facilities, “construction of which has already commenced”, he said.
The KIPA boss reiterated that TORQ Agro Allied has expanded its footprint in the state by committing $11 million for the establishment of a soybean aggregation, storage and processing center supported by an organized out-grower sourcing system embedded within the principles of the FRILIA framework.
He said, “Al-Hikima Fertilizer and Chemicals Nigeria Limited is investing an initial N1 billion in fertilizer and agro-chemical production, supply and seed multiplication at the project site, with plans to increase the investment to N5 billion in subsequent years.
“The investment is expected to improve input availability, boost agricultural productivity and deepen value-chain development in Katsina State”.
