Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) has urged citrus farmers in the state to stop the indiscriminate movement and sale of oranges outside Benue, warning that the practice could undermine the state’s drive to industrialise its agricultural sector.
The company’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, said in a statement that the continued movement of raw oranges out of the state threatens the steady supply of raw materials needed by the Bensono Concentrate Factory and other citrus processing facilities established by the Benue State Government.
He said Benue had invested heavily in citrus processing and could no longer afford a situation where raw produce is exported while local industries struggle to secure adequate inputs.
“The era of exporting our wealth in its raw form is over. Our priority is to create jobs, add value to our agricultural produce and build a sustainable industrial economy for Benue people. Every orange processed in Benue translates into employment opportunities, increased income for farmers and greater economic prosperity for the state,” he said.
He assured citrus farmers of a ready market for their produce, urging them to supply their harvest directly to the Bensono Concentrate Factory, where they would receive competitive prices.
The BIPC chief also called on traditional rulers, local government authorities, security agencies and community leaders to support efforts aimed at ensuring oranges produced in the state are processed locally.
According to him, protecting local industries is a collective responsibility that will help drive economic growth, create jobs and increase value addition across the agricultural value chain.
Asemakaha reaffirmed the company’s commitment to implementing the industrialisation agenda of Governor Hyacinth Alia, saying the state government remains focused on processing its abundant agricultural resources locally to create wealth, generate employment and accelerate economic development.
Benue is one of Nigeria’s leading producers of citrus and other agricultural commodities. In recent years, the state government has intensified efforts to promote agro-processing and attract investments into value-added industries as part of its strategy to diversify the economy, reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ incomes. The Bensono Concentrate Factory is one of the flagship projects intended to strengthen the state’s citrus value chain by processing locally produced oranges into concentrate and other products.
