Zamfara Govt. registers 220,000 farmers under FG/CBN rice programme



Zamfara Government said it has registered more than 220, 000 farmers across the state, under Federal Government/Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Anchor Borrowers Programme to boost rice production

Alhaji Lawal Jangebe, the state Commissioner of Agriculture, who disclosed this on Thursday in Gusau said that the state government was currently compiling thelist of farmers' associations and cooperative societies.He stated that the loans would be disbursed to the farmers to enable them procure assorted farming inputs and boost their production.

The Commissioner told NAN that the state government had introduced the Zamfara Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme (ZACAREP).

''The programme is aimed at improving the capacity of thefarmers to produce large quantities of farm produce, all-year round,especially rice,'' he said.

According to him, thousands of farmers are expected to participate in the programme across the 14 local government areas of the state."Crops to be cultivated are rice, maize, cotton, wheat, sorghum and millet, but rice would be given top priority

.''Under this programme, the state government will give loans for farm inputs such as fertiliser, machinery, seeds among others to farmers at subsidized rate.

''This will be done under the agreement of selling their farmproduce to the government after the harvest,'' he averred.

In another interview, the Secretary of the state chapter of theRice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad said, '' rice farmers in the state were yet to receive any support or assistance from the government.

'"Thousands of rice farmers in the state had been enrolled in the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, by ZACAREP, but wehave not received any assistance or support from the government at all levels.


"In spite of the Federal Government's policy to revive the agriculture sector in the country, farmers are still not getting necessary support in time, and this is not helping the policy,'' he said.  

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