The Partnership Agreement is
collaboration between the parties to improve outputs of smallholder farmers and
consequently support economic development as well as promote inclusive growth
in Africa. The partnership will enhance farmers’ productivity and increase
supply of high-quality cassava roots to Psaltry ,which will, in turn, provide
industrial quality cassava starch for Nigerian Breweries to extract maltose
syrup for use in the brewing process.
According to information made
available to Vanguard, the partnership agreement succeeds the Memorandum of
Understanding, MoU, signed by the partners in June 2014 which formed part of
the 2SCALE programme, a Dutch-funded initiative aimed at improving rural
livelihoods and food security in Africa.
The partners agreed to support
small-scale farmers in the production of more and better cassava through
technical assistance, training and easier access to finance. This will enable
more smallholder farmers to participate in the market for processed cassava
byproducts required for large industrial purposes.
The partnership also enhances
Nigerian Breweries socio-economic contribution via the agricultural sector and
supports the progress the company is making, towards the achievement of
HEINEKEN’s ambition to source 60 per cent of its agricultural raw materials in
Africa locally by 2020.
Nicolaas Vervelde, Managing Director
of Nigerian Breweries said “ This is an operating company of HEINEKEN we have a
long standing commitment to support local economic development and promote
inclusive growth by sourcing agricultural raw materials from entrepreneurial
local Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SME’s and utilizing it in our
operations.
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