FG to partner Nestle on High Nutrition schools #nigeria

— THE Federal Government has disclosed plans to
partner with Nestlé, the leading nutrition, health and
wellness company, to manufacture and process agricultural
raw materials, in a move aimed at tackling Africa's high
incidence of malnutrition and ensuring healthier future for
children.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi
Adesina, and the Managing Director and Chief Executive of
Nestlé Nigeria, Dharnesh Gordhon, disclosed this when the
minister visited the Nestlé factory in Agbara, Lagos.
Nestlé will collaborate with the government to establish
farmers group to grow grains such as maize, millet,
sorghum and soybeans for the company at the right volume,
price and quality.
Adesina commended Nestlé for the state-of-the-art
technology in its Agbara factory.
He was particularly impressed by the breakthrough
technology for processing maize and millet into Nestlé all-
family cereal, Golden Morn.
The minister said that Nestlé's commitment to responsible
sourcing of agricultural raw materials, which has resulted in
purchase of over 32 000 metric tonnes of grains from local
farmers in 2013 alone, was a clear example of business
supporting farming and promoting it as a livelihood of
choice that offers an attractive income.
He added that Nestlé was an ideal partner for the
Transformative Partnership for High-Energy Nutritious
Foods, which was launched at the last World Economic
Forum in Abuja in May 2014.
Gordhon lauded the federal government for their agricultural
transformation agenda, which is aimed at growing the
agricultural sector and creating wealth.
He assured the Minister that the company would support the
Transformative Partnership for High-Energy Nutritious
Foods project.
"As part of Nestlé's support for the Transformative
Partnership for High-Energy Nutritious Foods project, Nestlé
will also collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development to sponsor a nationwide advocacy
programme on grain biofortification.
"In this programme, new varieties of conventionally-farmed
high-energy staple grains that are naturally fortified with
essential vitamins and minerals will be made accessible to
larger, predominantly rural populations, thereby tackling
micronutrient deficiencies," he said.