Cross River takes delivery of 27 containers of rice seedlings equipment ... ready for installation

Twenty-seven containers of automated rice seedlings equipment have arrived the Ayade industrial park in Calabar, Cross River State and ready for installation.

Project manager of the centre, Patrick O'brian who received the equipments disclosed that already, contractors from Taiwan are on their way to Calabar for full installation of the automated machines.

The equipment included the transplanting and harvesting machines, sorter of various types, rice hullers, graders, cleaners and destoners, packing scales, among others.

O'brian said during the installation, there is going to be a huge training process for the local engineers and skilled labours, adding that there is also going to be opportunities for everyone seeking to work in the industrial city.

According to him, "very soon, Cross River State government will be supplying the whole country the new automated and vitaminised rice seedlings," explaining that the "citizens need not to go outside the state to buy rice for their local consumption as the Rice Mill in Ogoja will produce more than what they need.

Continuing, he revealed: "We have received 27 containers of various equipment. We will require a minimum of one month of training of personnel for all this equipment. So there will be opportunities here for everybody.

"Very soon, the mill in Ogoja will be supplying Cross River and other neighbouring states with made in Cross River rice. We don't have to go anywhere for rice any more. From the concept we have on ground, our people will be working, earning and feeding themselves, so we will be self sufficient. The concept is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

"This factory will produce the seedlings and they will be taken to farms for direct planting."