Bauchi govt flag-off Anchor Borrower's scheme, 20,000 farmers registered


Bauchi-The Bauchi State Government has officially launched the Anchor Borrower's Scheme initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria with 20,000 farmers successfully registered under the scheme.
The State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar who officially launched the scheme in Gadan-Maiwa town of Bauchi state at the flag-off of Land Preparation for the programme,  said that his administration will accord priority to Agriculture, especially laudable programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, as part of efforts to empower the people, create job opportunities and tackle the challenges of food security.
He said that the state government undertook to pay off the 9 per cent interest on the loan to be granted farmers in the programme, to encourage participation and showing commitment towards the success of the programme in the state as an Anchor, in addition to other contributions.
" The government has placed a high priority to Agriculture, especially laudable programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, as part of efforts to empower the people, create job opportunities and tackle the challenges of food security"
" I urge famers  to seize this golden opportunity presented and boost food production in the state as well empowering themselves economically" Governor Abubakar said.
In his address at the occassion,  the Lead Consultant in charge of the Programme in Bauchi, Dr Abdulmalik Nura said that out of the 20,000 registered farmers, 10,000 had so far been screened by field officers and representatives of participating banks.
He said  they have  concluded input assessment of irrigated rice enterprise production module for the state, which currently stood at N370, 000 per hectare.
“ The aim of the programme is to create economic linkage between small holder farmers and reputable large scale processors with a view to increasing agricultural output and supply of feedstock to agro processors"
"Each bonafide farmer is now expected to deposit N18, 500, which is his mandatory 5 per cent equity contribution as prescribed by the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) guideline,”  he said
He maintained that the next stage was the training of the farmers on good agricultural practice, farm enterprise management and group dynamics, before the commencement of distribution of input.
In his address, Musa Muhammd, Branch Controller of CBN in Bauchi, said the target of the programme in the state was to create economic linkages between over 100,000 small-holder farmers and reputable large scale processors in the state.
According to him, the objectives are to be achieved through the provision of credit facilities at concessionary interest rates to the farmers.
While commending the state government for its contribution to the success of the programme, he called for the opening of more lands where dry season farming potentials existed, to enable the participation of civil servants who might not have farmlands.

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