KATSINA, NIGERIA — Darma Rice Mill Ltd. plans to build a rice mill in Katsina, Nigeria, that it said will support the nation’s move toward self-sufficiency, The Guardian reported.

The mill will process 600,000 tonnes of rice per year and will be built in two phases. The first will have a 300,000 tonne per year capacity with two 16-tph rice mill lines. It will be ready to start operation in the second quarter of 2020, said Fahad Mangal, executive director of the company.

Work will then immediately begin on the second phase, which will include another 300,000 tonnes of annual capacity.

Mangal said the region has a large amount of agricultural land and farmers are already a part of their growers’ scheme, receiving loans to produce paddy rice.

He said the Katsina plant would support government in achieving self-sufficiency in rice production, meet local demand and also export to neighboring countries in the future.