The Federal Government has leased the National Grain Reserve at Igbariam to Coscharis Rice farm, Anaku for the next 10 years.
Governor Willie Obiano and the management of the farm paid an inspection visit to the facility.
As the result of the lease agreement, work has commenced at the facility to bring it to functioning capacity to enable the investor use it for storage activities.

The silos at the reserve which has the capacity to store 25,000 metric tons of grains will be used to stored paddy generated from the farm from where it will be fed to a Mill which the farm is constructing nearby with the capacity to do 150 metric tons daily.
Speaking after he was conducted round the facility, Governor Obiano said with the arrangement, the farm now has a wholesome plan that will guarantee great improvement in the value chain, starting from planting up-to processing and storage.

He acknowledged that with what his administration has done towards supporting other rice farmers especially through the FADAMA initiative, the vision of the state to do 600,000 metric tons of rice annually is now becoming more realistic.

The Investor, Chief Cosmas Maduka said the idea behind the lease agreement is to produce fresh grains, fit for human consumption that can compete favourably with those produced in developed countries, adding that when the mill and silos fully come to steam, there will be prospects for electricity generation through the milling turbines as well as wealth creation.