Agbeyewa Farms unveils plan to boost Nigeria’s cassava production

Agbeyewa Farms, one of Nigeria’s largest commercial cassava farms, has unveiled an ambitious 12-point agenda to transform cassava farming and address food insecurity.

The agenda was unveiled when a delegation from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) visited the farm on December 2, 2024.

Unveiling the blueprint document, Kabir Shagaya, director of strategy, Cavista Holdings (parent company of Agbeyewa Farms), explained that the 12-step plan builds on the successful signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the company’s chairman, Niyi John Olajide and Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, in May 2024, to establish a cassava farm covering 100,000 hectares in the state.

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This initiative is to be delivered through an in-grower/out-grower cooperative programme where eligible farmers will be organised into cooperatives of 100 to 150 members, each managing a 500-hectare plot.

According to Shagaya – “This programme is expected to impact 1,500 farmers across 10 cooperatives, benefiting approximately 7,500 individuals, including families, thereby supporting local communities and fostering economic growth and scalability”.

Shagay also revealed an investment plan for international donors, like USAID and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), to join their programme and support various aspects of their operations, such as farmer integration, infrastructure costs, initial operational needs, training, cooperative operations, and market integration through off-taker arrangements, all aimed at significantly reducing post-harvest losses.

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Also speaking on the company’s long-term plans, Seyi Aiyeleso, managing director, Agbeyewa Farms, stated that the company currently operates across 10,000 hectares of land across 9 communities in the state. He also revealed that its 26-hectare agro-processing plant is set to commence operations soon, and will produce high-quality cassava derivatives including flour, starch, and ethanol.