Edo seeks Guinness assistance in empowering grain farmers

As part of efforts to boost rural economic development, Edo State government has solicited the support of Guinness Nigeria plc in financial assistance to grain farmers across the state.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole made the call during the commissioning of multi-billion naira new plants and road constructed by Guinness Nigeria in Benin City. Oshiomhole said the request was part of the state government’s strategic plan to diversify its economy away from over dependence on oil as well as build a virile and robust economy geared towards encouraging manufacturing economy, rather than on consumption.

Oshiomhole noted that Guinness, as one of the major consumers of grains, would contribute immensely to the improvement of rural development if it provided the much needed financial assistance to farmers in the sub-agricultural sector to enhance their productivity in the state.

The governor, who posited that much had been invested in infrastructure development, noted that it would not bring the much needed results if it failed to attract investors to invest in the state.

According to him, I was just thinking aloud given your doggedness, robust commitment and confidence you shown in our economy to see how you can support farmers, and we are ready to provide land and any other thing that we need to do so that Guinness can support farmers to grow grains. Just as I know you are one of the biggest consumers of grains, when those farmers produce grains they can also be sure of a ready market because Guinness will buy the grains from them, he said.

“I am not an industrialist, but in the course of my union work and talking to my employers I heard things like forward integration and backward integration and I will invite you to reflect on the possibility of embarking on such sort of backward integration because one of the thing we want to do in my last term before I pack and go three years minus two days from now is to be able to expand and grow the GDP of this state.

By: IDRIS UMAR MOMOH