•For A Share Of The Rice Market
One of the biggest things happening in the Agriculture sector today is the closure of Nigeria’s land borders. Although a good number of Nigerians are complaining and criticising the Federal Government for closing the country’s borders, rice cooperatives, big-time farmers, including the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) are full of praises for the order.
The reason is simple. The border closure has ensured that over 180 million Nigerians eat locally produced rice which is directly boosting the economy. Farmers have said this is the first time the government has taken a very bold step in ensuring that local investors and farmers get real value for their investment. They are therefore calling on the federal government to permanently keep the borders closed so that Nigerian processed rice can also be made popular and its acceptability amongst the people sustained.
Meanwhile, with the border closed and no more rice smuggled in, those consumers who hitherto consumed such rice have no option other than to turn to our very nutritious organic rice. This has given room for very serious competition in the market. For example, during the just-concluded yuletide season, different brands of rice jostled for relevance and a good number of them had a fair share of the market slice while many consumers still cried for a scarcity of this priced commodity.
ANNUAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
In 2019, the President of Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, said Nigeria had hit annual eight million metric tons of rice production, with a target of 18 million metric tons by 2023. Goronyo said the feat was achieved with the disbursement of N40 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (CBN/APB) to over 12.2 million rice farmers.
The fact above and many others birth the springing up of different rice brands across Nigeria. However, of the numerous brands nationwide, only a few have been able to hold their own in their past few months. They are Labana rice, LAKE Rice, WACOT, the producer of Big Bull, Mama Gold and Mama Pride by Olam Nigeria, Umza Rice, Wadata Rice, Ofada Rice, Anambra Rice, Elephant Pride Sortexed Quality Rice, Caprice, Royal Stallion, Three Brothers, Super Champion, Al-Hamsad, etc. These brands of rice have for different reasons been able to hold their own and have been favourably competing with others.
City People’s BRANDS & PRODUCTS recently conducted a market survey where it discovered how WACOT’s Big Bull rice has been pulling stunt and battling other big local rice for market share. Although the Big Bull Rice is planted and milled in Kebbi, it has found a deep rot in almost every rice market in Lagos which is the economic capital city of Nigeria.
ABOUT WACOT’S BIG BULL RICE
The big bull rice is produced by agro-allied company, West African Cotton Company (WACOT). It first surfaced in Nigeria in 2017 and has since then gradually fought for space and is still competing with other brands that have been in the market longer than 2017.
N10 BILLION RICE MILL IN AGUNGI
WACOT Limited had opened a N10 billion rice mill in Agungi, Kebbi State. The rice mill which has a processing capacity of 120,000 tonnes per annum was commissioned by Vice President, Yemi Osinbanjo in August 2017. The establishment of the rice mill is an indication that the government’s policies to encourage investments in the agricultural sector is working in the right direction.
He further disclosed that the presence of the factory has empowered a lot of farmers, saying “we do not farm rice, but we work with the farmers from seed to harvest to ensure high-quality paddy, which we then buy-off. We purchase paddy from up to 50,000 farmers here in Kebbi State.”
SALES IN SMALLER QUANTITIES
Sales of its locally produced rice, Big Bull rice in 5kg, 10kg, and 20kg packages, which is an addition to its already existing 50kg package. The company disclosed this on twitter recently. WACOT Limited confirmed that the rice packages can be purchased from any Spar Nigeria’s outlets across the country. Only a few locally produced rice can match this feat. Many of the local rice producers prefer to sell only 50kg but Big Bull opened up the market with the sale of originally packed smaller quantities of its products.
SUPER EAGLES WORLD CUP SPONSORSHIP
One of the giant steps that leapfrogged the Big Bull Rice was its decision to support the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Big Bull Rice rewarded the outstanding player in matches played by the team with the Big Bull Rice Man of the Match award which carried a cash prize of N1 million and the donation of 10 bags of rice to any charity of the player’s choice.
Group Head, Corporate Communications, TGI Group, Mr. Chikezie Ogwo, reiterated the company’s confidence in the Eagles and commended the NFF for the quality of matches played. He said, “We believe strongly in this team and their possession of the never-say-die attitude of Nigerians. We urge Nigerians to keep supporting the team like we have been doing because we believe they will not let us down when the Mundial begins.”
EMPLOYED OVER 3,700 YOUTHS
It will interest you to know that WACOT has employed over 3,700 Nigerian youths as part of the workforce for the Big Bull Rice. While many companies are retrenching and sacking their staff due to hard economic situation, the Big Bull Rice prides itself in putting food on the table of countless Nigerian families not because they buy its products but because they earn a living from WACOT.
EXPANSION TO KATSINA
The Managing Director of the West African Cotton Company Limited (WACOT), Mr. Ujwal Canta, recently commissioned a modern Agriccentre in Katsina State. The centre is expected to attend to farmers’ needs, ranging from quality seeds, fertilizer, insecticides, herbicides, tractors and farm implements at subsidised rates.
Speaking at the commissioning of the centre in Funtua, Mr Canta, said the centre was established with the aim of promoting efforts of all stakeholders to improve and sustain productivity, quality and quantity in Katsina in particular and Nigeria at large. He said it would complement government’s efforts in revamping the agricultural sector, adding that, “the centre is in the best position to guide farmers on the good and modern techniques in agriculture for better yields and optimum productivity.
He said the present government’s support had helped the company to invest massively in the agricultural sector that led to the establishment of a factory in Kebbi State, which is one of the largest rice mill factories in Africa and produces rice comparable to the quality obtained in Thailand. In his remarks, the Sarkin Rafin Katsina and District Head of Mairuwa, Alhaji Sani Idris Sambo, expressed gratitude to WACOT management for assisting the farmers and revolutionizing the Agric sector in the state and the country at large.
This gesture will in no small measure position the Big Bull Rice in places where it has not yet covered and also give it leverage amongst other brands.
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