Rice Production: 300,000 Farmers To Benefit From CBN Agric Loan

By Lola SERIKI- IDAHOSA, Kaduna
 The Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture Prof. Danbala Danja has
 disclosed that about 300, 000 rice farmers in thirteen States will
 benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Programme.

 He disclosed this in an interview with some selected journalists in
 Kaduna, saying that the programme will take off as soon as possible
 adding that the various association has already  raise the required
 number of farmers.

 The MD said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) required no fewer than
 300,000 registered farmers before disbursing the fund.
 The thirteen states to benefits includes Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue,
 katsina, Kebbi, kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra, Cross
 river and  Akwa Ibom,
 He recalled that the Federal Government inaugurated the programme in
 November 2015 in Kebbi as part of effort to boost rice and wheat
 production in the country.
 According to him, “we started just during the last dry season now is
 like we have applied, individually I can’t give you the total figure.
 What we’re trying to do is that we piloted in Kebbi, now having seen
 the success in Kebbi we’re now planning to go to the 13 states of the
 federation and we have a target number of about 300,000 farmers.
 Continue, “If you have 300,000 farmers on an average price of about
 N180,000 per hectares you could see the amount we’re requesting. We’re
 requesting huge sums from the CBN so that we can support the small
 scale farmers.
 “ We also plan to request some money from CBN to support large scale
 farmers put simply we’re working with different states to identify the
 target number of farmers in each of the state. And on the basis of
 this agreement with the CBN we will then request for funding. We’re
 assured by the CBN that once we present the list of farmers with the
 BVN we’ll be supported with the requisite sum of money.
 He also stated that the federal Government plans to also sustain it
 during dry season,” like now, we have started with dry season; we’re
 going into the wet season. For the wet season in the next couple of
 weeks we’re targeting 300,000 farmers. Now after the wet season we’re
 planning for the dry season, so, it going to be both wet and dry
 season farming”.