The people of Lafiagi, in Edu local government area of Kwara State have expressed satisfaction with the level of work, currently going on at the BUA’s Group owned Lafiagi Sugar Company.

The huge sugar plantation in Lafiagi is expected to boost the availability of raw sugar in the country.

The implementation of the backward integration works, land preparation, acquisition of agricultural machinery, and building constructions, by the sugar company has brought joy to the people of the community.

The revival of the sugar plantation in Lafiagi by BUA Group brought joy to the people of the community as the highly revered 80 years old monarch of the town, Alh Sa’adu Kawu Haliru, his traditional chiefs/ lieutenants and the entire people of Lafiagi could not hide their joy over the pace of work currently going on at the sugar company when journalists on a facility tour of the company paid a courtesy visit to the emir in his palace at the weekend.

The people of Lafiagi have every reason to be excited about the development and revival of the sugar company. Though an ancient city, there is a need for large industries in the community as it could only boast of the state’s College of Education( Technical), established by one of its illustrious son, Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, when he was the civilian governor of the state between 1991 and 1993.

The BUA Group sugar company with 15, 000 hectares of land for sugar cane cultivation and its attendant socio-economic benefits has brought a great relief to the people of Lafiagi, most of whom are peasant farmers.

Lafiagi, where the sugar company is located is the headquarters of Edu local government area of Kwara State and is about two hours journey from Ilorin, the state capital.

The Lafiagi Sugar Company was sold to the BUA Group through the Bureau of Public Enterprise in 2008, but the company could not take possession of the land until 2014 due to litigations.

It took the intervention of the state government and the monarch of the town before the land owners allowed the BUA Group to take possession of the land.

During the pressmen’s visit to the factory site, large percentage of the land had been cleared and ready for cultivation. Sugar cane nurseries have also been planted in a section of the land close to the existing old mill.

Various farm roads have been graded to allow easy access to the farm, while finishing touches were being put to various rehabilitation works which have started and will continue in the upcoming months.

The newsmen also noted the recently acquired irrigation equipment, ready to be installed, that will supply water to the cane plantation in order to ensure steady growth of sugarcane all the year round.

The journalists were made to understand that sugar production actually starts with cane cultivation with a growing period of 12 months and will be harvested annually for over six years.

When it becomes fully operational, Lafiagi Sugar Company will engage about 2,500 persons as permanent staff and another 6000 persons as seasonal workers.

This is aside from thousands of jobs that will be created for the people of the community, willing to be self-employed as out growers, growing sugarcane to supply the BUA Lafiagi Sugar Mill.

The monarch of Lafiagi, HRH Haliru said, “We are in support of BUA Group 100 percent. We prayed to God for development.May God hear and accept our prayers for the success of the BUA Group Lafiagi Sugar Company.

“Yes, there can be one or two bad eggs in the community, but the vast majority of people of Lafiagi are firmly behind the BUA Group.”

He equally dismissed fears of the Fulani herdsmen damaging the plantations of the sugar company, saying that the palace had already struck an agreement with the leaders herdsmen.

Conducting journalists round the facilities in the factory, the general manager, Mr Yishaku Samuel said they will engage the services of 19 persons, daily to plant one hectare of land, 10 hectares will require 190 persons.

He disclosed plans by the company to construct 100 prefabricated housing units that will serve as camp for workers.

He said in the long run other housing units will be built and distributed to workers nearer to the factory and plantation areas.

The BUA Group head of Agribusiness in Nigeria, Mr Mario de Matos, who has developed his career in 37 countries worldwide before joining the group, told journalists that out of the 15,000 hectares acquired by the company, it has commenced a nursery of sugarcane on 13 hectares that will provide seed cane for further expansion.

Matos explained that the system of the planting is based on a multiplication ratio of 1 to 10 where the area developed must be gradually expanded annually to be large enough for the first harvest by the time the factory construction is completed. This will take approximately four years he said.

Matos also pointed out that the soil in the farm was very fertile and drew attention to the visible good condition of the sugar cane nursery that is green without any irrigation at this period of the dry season. He also said that sugarcane is the best cash crop because of its economic value per hectare and capacity to create sustainable wealth and employment in remote rural communities.