Plateau Govt Set To Revamp Jos Breweries

Plateau Government has allocated portions of land of the Brewery Agro Research Company (BARC) in Zallaki community of Bassa Local Government Area to different categories of qualified people, as part of efforts to revamp the Jos International Breweries (JIB).

The beneficiaries include farmers associations, civil servants and pensioners.

JIB was established in 1975 by the Joseph Gomwalk administration which BARC farm was part of its subsidiary.

Gov.Simon Lalong while issuing certificates of the lease to beneficiaries of the allocation on Saturday at the farm, said the government was committed to boosting the state’s economy through agriculture and reviving all its moribund companies.

Lalong said during the operation of the brewery, which got its raw materials mostly from the farm, massive revenue was generated leading to the establishment of subsidiary companies such as Pioneer Milling Company, Plateau Bottling Company Ltd. and BARC.

According to him, during the boom days of BARC which was sold to a private farmer for more than 20 years, it employed more than 4000 workers through direct or indirect means.

“In its days of glory, the farm was into cultivation of dry and irrigated crops such as grain, vegetables and tree crops and cattle ranches for rearing cows.

” Poultry farms with parent and hatchery units; Pig rearing; Abbatoir for poultry, pigs and cattle as well as operated a big farm for the fishery,” he said.

The governor said the farm was leased to beneficiaries who included civil servants, farmers associations and pensioners, saying the measure was part of efforts to revamp the farm.

“The desire to return the farm to operations in the era of economic diversification that is driven by agriculture made us consider the re-acquisition of the farm through the purchase of 90 per cent of its shares.

“So far, we have paid N1 billion for the re-acquisition of BARC Farm shares, representing about 70 per cent of the total sum, and we are hoping to complete the balance before the end of the year,” he said.

He said portions of the land were allocated for the current cropping season to be cultivated temporarily, pending when suitable investors would take over management of the entire farm.

“Our dream, in the long run, is that the Farm which has potential for occupying over 30 per cent to 40 per cent shares of the Agro-allied market in Nigeria, will leverage on these existing structures to cultivate crops that the State has a comparative advantage in,” Lalong said.

He assured the beneficiaries of safety, saying hunters who were part of the State Government’s homegrown security outfit, Operation Rainbow, would be deployed at the farm.

He also that said steps were already being taken to ensure access to the farm through repairs of its deplorable roads.