BoA Disburses N1.2bn Loan to 8,653 rice Farmers in Kebbi
The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) has disbursed over N1.2 billion to 8, 653 rice farmers under the Anchor Borrower programme in the 2018 dry season farming in Kebbi State.
Flagging-off the disbursement of the fund in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, Gov. Atiku Bagudu, said each farmer would receive N150, 000.
Bagudu urged the farmers to reciprocate the gesture by repaying the loan promptly to enable others benefit from the facility.
He commended all the stakeholders for the success recorded since the commencement of the programme in 2015.
Alhaji Haruna Abubakar, the state Chairman of the Programme, acknowledged the role played by the state government toward the achievement of one of the objectives of the administration by making Nigerians self-sufficient in rice/wheat production.
“From 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari launched the programme in the state, over 120,000 rice farmers had received financial support from the programme to date,’’ he said.
This, he said, was geared toward enhancing their production through BoA, Sterling Bank, the NIRSAL, Labana, Umza and Kebbi Development Fund.
According to him, in all, over N15 billion had been disbursed as loans to the state farmers under the initiatives.
He commended the National Committee on food security and the state government for the realisation of the objectives of the Federal Government on food production.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Anchor Borrower Programme was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Nov. 17, 2015.
NAN also reports that the programme was intended to create a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and small holder farmers (SHFs) of the required key agricultural commodities. (NAN)
