By Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Foreign expatriates and technicians engaged by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited have disclosed that the long-abandoned Taraku Mills in Benue State will undergo a test run within the next 30 to 35 days as rehabilitation work gathers momentum.
The development comes more than 13 years after the agro-processing facility was shut down, with the state government intensifying efforts to restore the mill to full operations.
The Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, said maintenance work had commenced following an assessment of the factory, which revealed that most of the machines remained functional despite years of inactivity.
He explained that foreign expatriates and engineers were engaged to handle critical aspects of the rehabilitation to ensure the plant returns to production.
According to Asemakaha, the revived mill will process soybeans, maize, beniseed and cassava into edible oil, beer grits for the Food Basket Brewery, animal feed and other industrial raw materials.
He urged farmers across Benue State to increase the cultivation of soybeans to guarantee a steady supply of raw materials when the factory resumes operations.
Asemakaha added that the revival of Taraku Mills was in line with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to restore moribund industries and drive economic growth in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the expatriates and technicians, Adilson Neres Da Silva and Henry Boager expressed satisfaction with the condition of the facility.
They said, “We are targeting to test-run the first plant within the next 30 to 35 days. The equipment, programmable logic systems, power plant, water plant and other components required to reactivate the software are all in good condition.”
The traditional ruler of Mbaweghgba, Chief John Igbabul, commended the Benue State Government for reviving the factory, expressing optimism that its return to operation would create employment opportunities and stimulate economic activities in the host community.
