The Ondo State Government has commenced a partnership with the Dangote Group of Companies on rice production as the group has proposed to acquire 3, 000 hectares of land in the state to cultivate the staple .
The company urged the state government to expedite action on the proposal so that work could commence on the project soon , stressing that the state had the potential to lead other states of the federation in rice production .
At a meeting with the Commissioner for Agriculture , Mr . Adegboyega Adefarati, in Akure on Thursday, the General Manager , Dangote Industries Limited, Dr . Sani Dawop , said the 3 ,000 - hectare rice farm would provide employment for about 6 , 000 youths in the state .
He added that that the farm was expected to produce about 15, 000 tonnes of rice annually , while 30 per cent of the workers would be women .
Adefarati, who expressed delight at the proposal , said the government was ready to accept it and work with the firm .
According to him , the gesture is in tandem with the state government ’s vision to use agriculture as a potent tool for job creation , increased food production and poverty alleviation.
The commissioner also advocated the establishment of a rice processing industry where rice from the farm could be processed and packaged in the state so as to prevent capital flight.