Delta Govt. registers 30, 000 farmers for CBN/Anchor Borrowers Programme
Delta Government has registered over
30,000 farmers across the selected enterprises of Cassava, Oil Palm,
Rice and Fisheries for the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture
and Natural Resources, Mr Austin Chikezie, who disclosed this in
Asaba, said that the aim was to boost the production of Fisheries,
Cassava, Oil Palm and Rice production under the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN)`s ABP in the state.
The commissioner said that the state
policy on agriculture was directed towards achieving agricultural
growth and development.
He explained that the government would
focus attention on providing food in excess for local consumption and
industrial raw materials for agro-industries, employment and poverty
alleviation.
He noted that the CBN anchor borrowers`
scheme would be used as a financial model for small holders` farmers
in Oil Palm, Rice, Cassava and Fish.
Chikezie said that about 30,000 farmers
have been registered across the selected enterprises of Cassava, Oil
Palm, Rice and Fisheries, adding that high quality inputs and
technical assistance would be provided for farmers.
According to Chikezie, the scheme is
designed to increase production and supply of raw materials to food
processors.
‘’And that through the scheme,
qualified commodity out growers are assisted to identify an anchor
firm (off taker or Processor) and supported with loan at nine per
cent interest rate to increase their farm holdings in the state’’.
The commissioner said that for oil
palm, government had commenced the raising of 220, 000 improved oil
palm seedlings for distribution to 250 farmers for cultivation on 500
hectares of Oil palm plantations.
He said that five mini-oil mills have
been fabricated and ready for distribution to farmers, adding that
the mills cost the state government about N115 million to execute.
According to him, the oil palm
programme will create 100 direct jobs and over 300 indirect jobs in
the state.
‘’In rice production, plans are on
to ensure that rice cultivated in the state meets international
standards, even as the state government has approved N51 million to
boost its production by ensuring all season farming.
‘’Government intervention in
fisheries, particularly in aquaculture, has yielded results with more
than 5,000 being currently engaged in various clusters across the
state through cooperatives societies.
‘’The annual fish production has
increased from 15,273 metric tonnes in 2008 to 24, 413 metric tonnes
in 2016’’.
He said that the state government in
2015 introduced and distributed the new improved pro-vitamin A-Beta
carotene cassava cuttings, sprayers, agro-chemicals, insecticides and
fertilisers to farmers in the state.
NAN recalls that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa had
in February 2016 inaugurated an agricultural marketing coordination
committee, with a charge to reform the agriculture sector in the
state.
The governor appointed the state Chief
Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Enoh, as the committee chairman.
He noted that the committee would focus
on developing the agricultural sector in line with his
administrations objectives of economic diversification, food
security, self-reliance and prosperity for all.
‘’This is in consonance with our
electoral promise to reform the agricultural sector for the purposes
of wealth creation, boosting employment, achieving value addition and
sustainable economic growth.
Okowa said that the committee would
tackle the marketing challenges faced by farmers in the state to help
farmers find suitable markets for their produce.
Other term of reference of the
committee includes: identifying existing and potential markets for
agricultural produce and device measures and arrangements for farmers
to access those markets.
‘’To obtain and disseminate market
information to agricultural producers and thereby improve information
flow between farmers and processors.
‘’And to proffer measures for
establishing and improving market infrastructure and facilities such
as warehouses, cold storage, output aggregation and processing
centres,’’ the governor said.
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