Flood Overrun Flour Mills' Farmland, Sugar Mill, Affect Operation Expansion

Flour Mills of Nigeria's operation in Sunti Golden Sugar Estates, Niger State, has been severely disrupted due to flood. The operation of the company was brought to a standstill by the severe downpours at the Sokoto Rima basin which led to Kainji and Jeba dams releasing water into its surroundings.

Sunti Golden Sugar Estates consist of Flour Mills' farmland and sugar mills. While disclosing the reason behind the flood, the company said, "As a result of the long and intensive rainfalls recorded recently at the northern and central parts of the Niger basin, coupled with massive floods triggered by severe downpours at the Sokoto Rima basin, the Kainji and Jeba dams witnessed an upsurge and rather dramatic increase in the lateral flow of water." the recent statement read.

Flour Mills of Nigeria further disclosed that "The resulting high inflows in the downstream Nigeria River have caused a breach to the extensive and properly designed dyke systems at Sunti Golden Sugar Estates (SGSE). As a precaution, immediate safety protocols have been instituted to safeguard employees, property and equipment." AllNews gathered from the statement.

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Flood Affects Flour Mills of Nigeria Expansion Plan

The flood has also affected the expansion plans of Flour Mills. The company had planned to complete its expansion by increasing the area under cultivation to 4,000 hectares by mid-2021, but the timeframe is no longer feasible, the company statement obtained by AllNews showed.

It was gathered that the flood has now been brought under control, but the extent of the impact on the company's operation has not been ascertained. However, Flour Mills confirmed that there is no immediate threat to the earlier indicated projections of Flour Mills.

"While SGSE has suffered some disruptions to operations and delays to our expansion projects to increase the area under cultivation to 4,000 hectares by mid-2021, the actual state of damage to the current sugarcane crop at Sunti, can only truly be assessed once the floodwater subsides. Overall, based on the currently available information, the breach is not foreseen to impact the overall performance of the Group," flour Mills of Nigeria said.