As part of efforts aimed at empowering farmers and boosting the economic activities of Adamawa State, Dangote Sugar Refinery, Numan, has promised to increase its spending on out growers farmers from N500m to N1b for the next year farming season.

The Group General Manager of the firm, Bello Dan-Musa, who disclosed this at the factory, said the out growers scheme was introduced as part of the company’s policy to assist host community members to become financially independent.

“The management prepared the land, plant the sugarcane, provide fertiliser and other chemicals needed for the out growers farmers. Their work is to pump water, which we also provide into their farms.”

He said after the company does the harvest, the management calculates the cost of the chemicals spent and deduct it from the total cost of the harvest of each out grower and pay them the balance.

“Some of the out growers farmers that handle their farms very well get more than N2m, it depends on how you handle your farm. For two years now it is a woman that has been emerging the best out grower here in Numan.

He said the scheme has put smiles on faces of many families within and outside the state, adding that youths in the five local councils that constituted the host community have taken advantage of the scheme to improve their lives.

The Group General Manager promised that the company will expand the out growers farmers scheme next farming season with N1b to accommodate more people that have interest in the scheme.

The secretary of the out growers farmers association, Mr. Peter Guza, said every year he got between N1.4m to N1.7m, without paying for house rent or buying food for his family.

“For me Dangote is my Federal Government, Dangote is my political party, Dangote stand for no more poverty in Nigeria. Directors working with the state government come to borrow money from me, it is Dangote that promoted me, even without education, I’m borrowing money to top government workers after God, it is Dangote we know,” he maintained.

Another out grower farmer, Mr. Gideon Barde, who is the auditor of the out growers farmers association, said his life has changed from abject poverty to a comfortable villager that can handle and control his financial needs without the assistance of his neighbors.

“I’m using air-condition in my house how many government workers that worked for 30 years can afford to buy air-condition? Dangote is the light of better life,” he said.