Benue State Government has commenced efforts to revive the long-abandoned Taraku Mills Limited, a multi-million-dollar agro-processing facility in Gwer East Local Government Area, as part of plans to boost industrial activities and agricultural value addition in the state.
Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr Raymond Asemakaha, disclosed this on Friday June 19 during an inspection tour of the factory, which has remained inactive for more than a decade.
The facility, popularly known as Taraku Mills Limited, is valued at over $50 million, equivalent to about N70 billion.
Asemakaha said preliminary findings revealed that despite years of inactivity, most of the factory’s equipment remained in near-new condition. He noted that the state government was carrying out a comprehensive asset audit to determine the level of investment required to restore the plant to full operation.
He commended members of the host community and security personnel for protecting the facility from vandalism, adding that the preservation of the equipment would significantly reduce rehabilitation costs.
According to him, technical experts, including former staff members with institutional knowledge of the plant, would begin detailed assessments and dry-run tests on the machinery to establish its operational status and develop a roadmap for the factory’s revival.
Speaking during the inspection, the pioneer mechanical engineer at the facility, Engr. James Ikuve, described Taraku Mills as a fully integrated agro-allied processing company with separate maize, feed mill and oil processing divisions.
He explained that the maize processing plant has the capacity to handle 120,000 tonnes of maize annually, while the feed mill can produce up to 172,300 tonnes of animal feed each year.
Ikuve added that the oil processing division comprises soybean preparation, solvent extraction and refinery plants capable of processing hundreds of tonnes of soybeans daily.
He recalled that the factory operated at approximately 75 per cent of its installed capacity before production stopped in 2013 under the management of Growrich Resort Limited.
The planned resuscitation of the facility is expected to enhance agricultural processing, create jobs and stimulate economic activities in Benue State, which is widely regarded as Nigeria’s food basket.
