Pure Bio-Tech Company Limited has called on the Benue State Government to strengthen the business environment to attract more private investment in agricultural processing and expand industrial activities across the state.
The company’s Manager, Abdulkadir Mohammed, said the growing demand for cassava by its ethanol-processing plant had created a ready market for farmers while generating business opportunities for aggregators, transporters and other actors across the value chain.
Speaking over the weekend on the company’s operations and economic impact, Mohammed said Pure Bio-Tech sourced cassava from Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Bauchi and Cross River states.
He said Benue accounted for about 40 per cent of the company’s allocated supply arrangements but contributed as much as 65 per cent of the cassava actually delivered to the factory.
According to him, the industrial demand had improved the fortunes of cassava farmers who previously struggled to sell their produce, particularly dried cassava, locally known as kpor.
Mohammed said kpor had sometimes attracted such low prices that some farmers resorted to using it as firewood, manure for tree crops and powdered material for marking football fields.
He said the company’s operations had consequently created a market for the produce, while the introduction of standard weighing scales had established a uniform basis for determining the quantity of cassava supplied by farmers and processors.
The manager said the factory had also created employment opportunities for Benue indigenes in areas including safety management, human resources, accounting, legal services and cassava supervision.
He listed some of the company’s interventions in its host community as the provision of seven boreholes, electricity facilities and a transformer purchased for N11.5 million.
According to him, the company also supplied armoured cable valued at N1.5 million, commenced construction of a school and provided annual festive support to residents.
Mohammed linked the factory’s operations to improved security in the area, saying soldiers guarded the company’s frontage while naval personnel provided security around the river end.
He said the economic activities generated around the factory had contributed to transforming the area, which he said had previously been affected by violent conflict.
Company Addresses Environmental Concerns
On environmental concerns, Mohammed said the company encountered regulatory challenges during its test-running phase in 2022 following a water overflow incident.
He said the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) temporarily shut the facility in 2023, adding that the company had since fulfilled the required conditions and obtained an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate.
Mohammed said environmental consultants now conduct monthly tests on the company’s waste, with the results submitted to NESREA.
He also addressed the restriction of some small-truck cassava deliveries, attributing the decision to repeated cases of improperly dried cassava, congestion around the factory and protests.
According to him, the company had to regulate the volume of cassava purchased based on its processing and storage capacity.
Mohammed also dismissed allegations that suppliers paid bribes to secure supply slots, saying the company operated a transparent allocation system.
“We ensure transparency and fairness in supply allocation, maintain quality standards in our operations and try to meet up with our corporate social responsibilities to our host,” he said.
