FG trains 16,000 farmers on anchor borrowers programme in Bauchi
About 16,000 registered farmers have been trained under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) initiated Rice Anchor Borrowers Programme on dry season farming.
The Lead Consultant of the state anchor borrowers, Dr. Abdulmalik Yawale Nura, made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of one day farmers training programme at Alkaleri, Kirfi and Bauchi local government areas of the state.
“Already, 16,000 beneficiaries have been verified and cleared for participation in the program by the apex bank, by implications 16,000 hecters of farm lands are involved in the state, each farmer will collect equivalent of N270, 000 and deposit not less than N15,000 to the participating Commercial Banks,” he said.
Dr. Nura explained that initially 20,000 famers registered, after verification 16,000 qualified, adding that the training was aim at equipping them with the best farming and agronomic techniques for them to get the best yield that allowed them to pay back their loans.
He further explained that as part of the recommendation we are going into the last phase after issuance of training certificates, that will be used by six participating commercial banks that includes Jaiz, UBA, Bank of Agriculture, Sterling Bank, FCMB and Unity Bank.
“They will then signed a MOU with up takers, those that will buy the products and those to provide the farm inputs such as seeds and other farm implements.”
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Agriculture Alhaji Gali Abdullhammed urged the thousands of rice farmers in the state to take advantage of the programme, aimed at creating profitable linkages between small scale farmers and large scale processors in the state with a view to increasing agricultural production and extensively improving capacity utilization of integrated mills.
Gali maintained that the Buhari administration accords top priority to agricultural production, as one of the viable sources of revenue generation, job creation and ensuring food sufficiency for its teeming populace.
The commissioner said that Mohammed Abubakar led administration is committed to revamping the agricultural sector and with particular emphasis on the rice value.
“As you are aware, the programme is on loan basis not grant hence you should make sure that you make prompt repayment and based on the terms of agreement entered with you”,He charged the farmers.
In his remark, representative of CBN, Alhaji Masa’ud Tulu, said the programme was designed, among other things, to close the gap between local rice production and domestic consumption, urging rice farmers to take advantage of the development to improve their production.
“If you utilize the loan by farming diligently, it will help you, our farmers, to grow from being subsistent to commercial farmers”, assuring that steps have been taken to ensure that the loans are not fraudulently manipulated.
