Crown Flour Mill, a subsidiary of Olam Group and a major player in the Wheat Milling industry in Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to assist the federal government of Nigeria achieve sustainable food sufficiency in the country.
This plan was revealed when the Wheat Development Team of Crown flour Mill led by DamilolaAdeniyi, the Corporate Affairs Manager and MoshoodQuadri, Head Human resources along with other senior management staff of the company were on a courtesy visit to the honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono in his office on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 in Abuja.
Adeniyi stated that the company’s management decided to visit the minister today to intimate the ministry of the company’s commitmentto build Nigerian wheat growing capability by bringing in new seed varieties and innovative ways of agriculture.
Crown Flour Mills is looking to partner with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, state governments and other major stakeholders in the agricultural sub-sector in order to achieve this objective. She said the company plans to introduce the findings of research trialsand cultivation of a heat tolerant durum wheat variety carried out by the company in Senegal into Nigeria.
CFM through its contribution to the wheat millers’ association under the auspices of the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) where CFM is a key member, has also made some valiant strides through FMAN’s wheat development program and various initiatives in areas such as research and seed trials, capacity building in modern agricultural practices, distribution of input, seed production, etc. targeted at smallholder wheat farmers and other players in the wheat production value chain and downstream sectorand aimed at boosting the quantity and quality of local wheat production.
Contributing at the meeting, Rauda Musa Umar, the company’s Wheat Development Programme Officer, stated that the company will soon be embarking on research andseed trials, trainings in modernagricultural practices in a block farming pilot project. According to her, plans are at an advance stage to commit Kano State to make land available for the project.
Mr Ashish Pande, the Managing Director of Crown Flour Mill, believes strongly in Nigeria’s potential to grow good quality wheat and will support by training local farmers, gathering resources for new seed development and bringing in new technology all aiming to boost up the capability of Nigeria.
Responding, the minister thanked the team for coming and promised that government will extendto the company all the support it needs to succeed in the developmental programmes they have elected to undertake.
