Brownsugarexporter.com - The Tide (Nigeria) - Nigeria, Cuba
collaborate on brown sugar Production Cuba and Nigeria are entering into a
technical partnership for the development of brown sugar production technology.
A
statement issued by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and
Promotion (NOTAP) in Abuja said that Cuba pledged its technical expertise
during a visit to the brown sugar pilot plant at Kona-Mada, FCT.
The leader
of the Cuban delegation to the plant, Mr Oscar Hector was quoted in the
statement as saying that "Cuba has a wealth of experience in sugar
production that will benefit Nigeria."
Hector
said that officials from the embassy had visited a similar sugar plant in
Jigawa and were already working out a strategy on the area of collaboration.
He said
that both plants were operating below installed capacity, adding that there was
need to improve on the output from the present 60 per cent.
He
advanced the use of old sugar canes, the evaporation that occurred during
boiling, as well as the use of old boiling pans as reasons for the low sugar
yield at the plants.
He said
that the envisaged collaboration between both countries would address the issue
of obsolete technology currently deployed at the plants.
The
statement quoted NOTAP Director General, David Okongwu as saying that the
office has concluded arrangements to site the plants in more states of the
federation.
Okongwu
said that the brown sugar technology initiative had been commercialised by the
office to prove its viability, as well as encourage entrepreneurs and
communities to invest in the production.
He said
that the commercialization of the technology would also spur the production of
ethanol, molasses and organic fertiliser. (BD)