Investing in Agriculture: Mokwa Farm

Osprey Investments Group has invested in Nigeria’s agricultural sector through the ownership and development of Mokwa Farm. Mokwa Farm is located in Rabba, in Lavan Local Government Area, Mokwa, Niger State. The Farm extends over an area of 4782 hectares and is situated near the Niger River which provides good irrigation for crops and water for fish farming. Osprey aims to the use the farm for the cultivation of rice, fish, and sugarcane. The sugarcane and leftovers from rice crops can be processed into ethanol.

According to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), producing food and energy side-by-side offers one of the best formulas for boosting food and energy security. These integrated farming systems have the added advantage of lower fuel and fertiliser costs because the slurry from biogas production can be used as compost. The savings can be used to buy inputs (improved seeds etc) needed to raise productivity.

A rice packaging plant can be constructed to create value addition while the fish can be processed locally and sold to the domestic market. The ethanol can be supplied to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). NNPC is especially interested in investing in biofuels in order to meet international export requirements to the EU and the US (which require oil exports to contain at least 10% ethanol for exports to the EU by 2015).

Further studies are needed to select the appropriate species, assess availability of inputs and conduct a market analysis for fish production on the farm.