Kwara to Export 500000 tons of Cassava Annually

The General Manager, Shonga Farm Holdings Ltd, Mr. Bayo Sangobiyi, Chairman Shonga Holdings, Mr. Tope Daramola, Managing Director, Austrava (exporters of Dried Cassava Chips), Robin Thumar and Kwara State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Bode Olayemi, during the signing of MoU between Austrava and Shonga Farm Holdings in Ilorin.

Efforts of the Kwara State Government at promoting public/ private partnership through commercial agriculture has began to yield positive results as Shonga Farm Holdings Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an Hong-Kong based Company, Austrava, to export 500,000 tones of cassava chips annually.

The Chairman of the Shonga Farm Holdings, Mr. Tope Daramola who signed on behalf of the company disclosed that the agreement would last for a period of five years.

He also described the agreement as a good way of driving the economy through agricultural business.

Daramola who stressed the importance of the deal said apart from stimulating the economy positively, it would go a long way towards generating employment opportunity and injecting money into local economy.

The Chairman, who expressed gratitude to the State government for its support pointed out that the agreement would encourage exploitation of benefits inherent in home grown crop to its fullest and stimulate production.

In his remark, the Managing Director, Austrava, Mr Robin Ehumar said he was excited to partner Shonga Farm Holdings, while the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bode Olayemi described the agreement as a watershed in agricultural development of the State.

Olayemi added that the agreement was in tune with the government’s commercial agriculture initiative, expressing optimism that it would stimulate production of cassava by farmers.

Source Kwara state website