NAN-AE-4
Farmers
Brinin Kebbi, Sept. 27, 2016 (NAN) The small holder farmers in Kebbi have appealed to the State government to ensure that only genuine farmers benefitted from its agricultural programmes to achieve meaningful diversification of the economic.
The farmers made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birinin Kebbi on Tuesday.
According to them, many agricultural development programmes are being conceived and implemented by the state government over the years without the involvement of small holder and genuine farmers.
They complained that they have continued to trail implementation of some programmes.
Some of the farmers told NAN that such programmes could be jeopardized due to non considerations of genuine farmers as beneficiaries.
A peasant farmer in Makera village, Alhaji Atto Magaji urged the state government to extend its loan facilities to small holder and rural farmers.
“Many genuine farmers were not considered in the distribution of loan facilities toward boosting rice and wheat production in the state.
Alhaji Malami Gado, also a farmer, stressed the need for government to shun political sentiment in the implementation of its agricultural programme, if it really wants to diversify the state’s economy.
However, the Permanent Secretary, State’s Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Shehu Lawal, said that over 78,000 farmers had benefited from the distribution of loan.
According to him, registered farmers in the state have produced over 1 million tonnes of rice so far this year.
He said the CBN Anchor Borrower Programme was introduced to provide loans to farmers with a view to enhancing rice and wheat production in the state.
The permanent secretary explained that farmers are expected to repay the loan with their farm produce. (NAN)
SZT/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide
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