ASABA-DELTA State Government is concluding plans with two foreign Agencies; USAID and American based company, VICA Technologies to fast track the commencement and operations of the state government’s owned multi billion naira fish Feed Mills in Owanta Aliosimi, Ika North East local government area and Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area of the State.
The move is part of the State Government’s effort aimed at shoring up the Agricultural value chain of the state.
Rising from a crucial meeting with members of the State Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Fish Feed Mills held at the office of the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Chika Ossai, the foreign Investors, said they are already considering commencing pilot operations with the Ika Fish Feed Mill located at Owanta Aliosimi. The Uvwie Fish Feed Mill has since commenced operations following a successful concessioning of the mill by the state government to a private investor, O-Secul Nigeria Limited. Speaking on the prospects of the Ika Fish Feed Mill, the Chief Executive Officer of Vica Technologies, Dr. Azuka Anyiam, said that arrangements are in top gear for its pilot operation and to beef up the proposed production capacity of the Mill from One ton per hour to Five tons per hour.
Anyiam said plans are also in the offing to secure a 2,800 hectares of land in the state for the cultivation of maize as viable raw material for the proposed Fish Feed mill. The State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Chika Ossai in his remarks, assured the Investors that the state government would provide the enabling environment for the smooth operation of the project. Ossai said the State government has the enormous resources to run Fish farming that can service south east and south south zones of the Country, disclosing that the Ika Fish feed mill would soon commence operation as soon as the negotiation between the investors and state government is concluded. Saying that the Uvwie Fish feed mill managed by O-secul Nigeria Limited commenced operation in December Last year, he tasked maize farmers in the state to be more committed so as to be able to feed the various Fish feed mills that is strategically located in the state.
