Superstores throng farms in Ogun for agric produce

Multinational hypermarkets and eateries such as Shoprite, Spar and Kentuchy Fried Chicken (KFC) are now coming in large number to various farms in Ogun state, especially greenhouse farms, where they purchase fruits, vegetables and other farm produce that will form part of menus and be displayed on shelves in their branches across the country.

The recent choice of Ogun state as major destination for fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables and other food crops comes to the fore following huge investments in crops production through greenhouse farming, particularly as being spearheaded by CELPLAS Industries Farm, Obasanjo Farm Nigeria, Chi Farm, among other big players in the agric sector that have farms in the state.

Speaking during the tour of a set of greenhouse farms made by Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry to CELPLAS Farms located along Sagamu-Benin expressway recently, Prakash Hathiramani, Chairman CELPLAS Industries Nigeria Limited declared that the greenhouse farms were the extension of plastic and packaging investment.

While explaining that CELPLAS Industries which is known in Nigeria for plastic and packaging production and exports later ventured into agricultural produce since there is a huge demand in the country, Hathiramani said, “backward integration started when made in plantain snacks, we were buying plantains from market and we decided to grow our plantains.

“Along the line came other vegetables and fruits, and demand was there, and we kept making it, from manufacturing to farming,” adding that government should also assist them through single-digit interest loans and create enabling environment for manufacturing and agricultural investments to grow.

Responding, Bimbo Ashiru, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, who led other state officials to the greenhouse farms, pledged to link up the firm with government and Central Bank of Nigeria with loans to boost production as demand for fruits, vegetables and other farm produce by hypermarkets increase, saying there should be corresponding growth in that value chain.

He said, “They have encouraged what we called backward integration; from production of plastic chairs, tables, nylons and other packages.  It’s like a One-Stop-Shop Factory where you get all the things you need. They now expand it having farms. Greenhouse farms where they produce cocoa, vegetables and produce. They have husbandry, the nursery, where they grow all these things.

“This is a good initiative. We will support as a Government. What they are producing here, they sell it to shops in Lagos. Now that we are going to have Shoprite and other hyperstores here, it will be easier to link them up with firm like CELPLAS Farms, so that the value chain grow and create more jobs and wealth. You can now see that we have started feeding and clothing Lagos.”

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has expressed its willingness to grant necessary support in resuscitating agricultural farms in Ogun State, according to Bade Odusote who led the inspection team of the CBN to Apoje Farm Company Limited, a subsidiary of Ogun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OGSADC) in Ijebu Igbo.

Odusote, who led team of CBN in company of Ogun state officials being led by Steve Ipiniwa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, said on Friday that  ”we (CBN) are ready to support the State Government towards the provision of funds in developing agricultural produce and equipment in Apoje Farms and other farms in the state.”

RAZAQ AYINLA