BIPC Benue juice set to hit Nigerian market

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State Fruit Juice Company (BENFRUIT) carried out final test run of the concentrate ahead of hitting the Nigerian market.
Recall that in August 2025, the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, (BIPC) entered into partnership with SONO Group Global Brazil to reactivate the Juice company and manage it for 15 years in its efforts to reduce post-harvest losses by 80 percent and boost the State economy.
Speaking with newsmen at the company during the final test run, BENFRUIT Maintenance Manager Engr Boager Henry Boager explained that the system operates on 4 tonnes per hour, stating that they had started with 2 tonnes per hour.
Henry said the tonnage and crushing rate has increased to 3 tonnes per hour, maintaining that they have hit 4 tonnes to balance their production stability.
He added that 6,000 litres of oranges were crushed in 3 hours for the testing phase, extracted, pre-heated and sent to refinery and chamber for separation of the pulp and concentration respectively.
Further elucidating the process, he said the juice in the chamber undergoes circulation which will later come out as concentrate.
He said, “We sent into the Juice tank 400 litres in 30 minutes and sent in 2,200 litres every one hour to the chamber for concentration.
“If you do your calculation of 2,200 per the hour, then you know how much concentrate and then, we do the discharge into the buckets and barrels, our barrels here is 23 litres.
“In a day, we should be getting up to 75 drums and 2 container load in a week. We don’t just work here but by calculation.
“We have started right now and we are not going to stop. We are already employing and the welfare of the workers is very encouraging and condition of service very welcoming.
“We are encouraging Benue citizens to keep their oranges as it will be utilized here and the money will be in circulation here for the state. BIPC will apply the fund to the least person with an orchard.
“We acknowledge the effort of the Governor for empowering this process and using BIPC as a vehicle and the Group Managing Director, GMD Dr Raymond Asemakaha to industrialize the state”.