Turkish Investors Seek 1,500 Tonnes of Taraba Farm Produce Quarterly

Turkish investors have expressed interest in buying at least 1,500 tonnes of agricultural produce from Taraba State every quarter for their country’s market.

This comes as discussions are underway to establish TARABA COOFF flagship retail outlets in Istanbul and other European cities.

The expressions of interest followed a high-level “Made in Taraba investors” meeting and product-testing session held at the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The meeting was part of the state government’s commitment to attract foreign investment and secure international markets for the state’s products.

The proposed partnership is expected to provide a direct market for Taraba Coffee, Highland Tea and Taraba Chocolate, while creating opportunities for their distribution and promotion across Türkiye and the wider European market.

However, the proposed 1,500-tonne quarterly supply arrangement remains subject to further technical discussions, quality verification, production capacity assessment, logistics, pricing and other commercial conditions.

This was disclosed in a statement issued to newsmen, and signed by the Special Adviser to Governor Agbu Kefas on Digital Economy, Hon. Justin Aondoaseer Tyopuusu, in Jalingo.

According to the statement, the investors’ engagement brought together business executives, coffee shop operators, production and operations executives and other prospective partners.

The delegation, led by the immediate past Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Hon. Peter George, used the forum to showcase Taraba’s agricultural potential, production capacity, value-addition opportunities and market prospects.

The participants also tasted Taraba Coffee and Highland Tea, while discussions focused on the prospects for developing commercially viable partnerships across the state’s agricultural value chains.

Among the business stakeholders engaged were Mr Hamza Hakkında of Unkur Akışkanlı Börek/COOFF TEA and Mr Yasin Çaylı, Production and Operations Director of NOUVELIFE Company.

The statement said that the level of interest generated by the engagement demonstrated the potential of Taraba products to compete in international markets when properly branded, positioned and connected to global value chains.

It added that the objective of the government was not merely to showcase the state’s agricultural products, but to establish commercially sustainable partnerships capable of creating jobs, increasing farmers’ incomes and expanding the state’s revenue base.

“We are not travelling merely to tell the world what Taraba has. We are taking Taraba’s products to the world and connecting them directly with the people, businesses and markets that can create value from them.

“The interest we have received in Istanbul is a strong indication that Taraba’s agricultural story can become an international commercial story,” the statement said.

The Special Adviser further stated in the statement that the proposed TARABA COFFEE outlets in Istanbul represented the kind of market-driven partnership the state government was seeking as part of efforts to take Taraba products beyond domestic markets.

He, however, stressed that the emerging partnerships would require detailed technical and commercial engagements to establish sustainable supply arrangements, quality standards, processing requirements, logistics, pricing and other conditions necessary for long-term success.

According to him, the state government will continue to leverage technology, international partnerships, product branding and market intelligence to support the Governor’s Moving Forward Agenda and position Taraba as a major investment destination in the North-East and Nigeria.

The government also sees the emerging international interest as an opportunity to shift the state away from exporting raw commodities towards greater value addition through processing, packaging, branding, distribution, and international retail.

The statement added that prospective investors had indicated their willingness to visit Taraba for further discussions with Governor Kefas and to assess the state’s production capacity, investment opportunities and the practical framework for implementing the proposed partnerships.

The government said the engagements would be followed by further discussions aimed at converting the expressions of interest into concrete investment and commercial agreements.