Ekha Agro and Glucose Syrup production

CGIAR reports :

A glucose syrup factory using cassava as its major raw material has commenced production in Nigeria. Built at a cost of N2.5 billion by Ekha Agro Nig. Ltd., a private sector initiative, in partnership with the International Starch Institute (ISI) in Denmark and several Nigerian banks, the company will produce 100 tons of glucose syrup daily.
“It will initially produce 30,000 tons of glucose syrup per annum, saving the country $15 million hitherto spent annually on imports,” says Mr. Samuel Osarenkhoe, chairman and chief executive officer of the company. As Nigeria currently requires 120,000 tons of glucose syrup annually, the factory is set to meet immediately a quarter of national demand for the commodity, which is used in pharmaceuticals, food and brewing... The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) provides technical backstopping and research support to the factory, which currently employs 50 engineers and 70 agronomists who organize and work with more than 20,000 cassava out-growers and cluster farmers who daily supply to the factory 400 tons of fresh cassava roots valued at about 2 million Nigerian naira ($15,000). On the advice of IITA, the company maintains 3,000 hectares of cassava farmland to supplement fresh roots from its contract growers.

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