AGRICULTURE

The 27 Agriculture sector opportunities identified are as listed in Table 1 below:

Agriculture sectors offering potentials for new investment

Data on actual production and potential volumes is limited and unreliable. There is also little detailed information available on soil types, climate and land availability in the State. Initial prioritisation has therefore focused on satisfying the needs of investors with confirmed interest or existing activities with growth potential.

Opportunities in the remaining sectors need to be properly documented and promoted in terms of the comparative advantages offered by Bauchi state. Those opportunities that involve crops such as Sesame, Cashew and Jatropha that would require land outside the fadama project will be further prioritised. It will also be important to identify and support actual or latent value chains within the State that will attract multiple job opportunities and economic impact by major new investors. As an example, where rice production and processing become a major activity, the by-product; rice straw, could be converted into construction materials for use in the development of low-cost housing.

A key issue facing many producers is the challenge of developing a logistics chain (collection points, warehouses, cold chains, transport services, packaging etc.) from the farm gate to the market. Without such a chain, many smaller farmers cannot achieve best prices with attendant high wastage and produce loss. Even larger producers are obliged to invest in additional facilities. Based on further research it is imperative that the State to consider partnering with qualified service providers to address these challenges.