19th July, 2014
Zamfara Government plans to access N1 billion loan to be disbursed to farmers to boost food production in the state, said Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Gusau on Thursday.
Yari made this known while launching the National Agriculture Payment Initiative (NAPI).
Represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Idris Rikiji, the governor said that the money would be borrowed from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that the farmers would access the loan through UBA Bank Plc.
According to him, the state government sells 50 kg of fertiliser at N1,000 and also gives 50 per cent subsidy on all agricultural inputs to farmers.
“This administration is ready to go to any length in assisting farmers to improve their livelihoods.”
Also speaking at the event, a representative of the CBN, Henry Walter, said that the introduction of the cashless society would benefit Nigerians, especially farmers as it encouraged e-payment.
Walter said that CBN had interest in agriculture and was ready to encourage them to work harder with an assurance of financial assistance.
Managing Director of Cellulant Nigeria Limited, Bolaji Akinboro, spoke on the importance of the e-wallet programme through which the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Support scheme is being implemented.
Akinboro said that it facilitates easy access to agricultural products, including loans.
He urged farmers insure their farms in order to receive assistance in the event of any disaster.
He further said that if a farmer collected a bag of fertiliser, he would be entitled to N20,000 loan, two bags of fertiliser would attract N40, 000 loan.