From Shuaibu Zubair Tatu, Birnin Kebbi
No fewer than 150,000 farmers across the 21 local government areas in Kebbi State as well as civil servants are expected to benefit from various ABP loans facilities for dry and wet seasons farming and other agricultural intervention programs in the 2021 farming season.
This disclosure was made by a member of the State Anchor Borrowers Program Committee, Alhaji Abdullahi Saidu Argungu.
Argungu, who is also the Chairman of the Kebbi State Wheat Farmers Association and the Sarkin Noma in Argungu Emirate, disclosed this on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi, during a stakeholders’ meeting on the programme
The meeting which was attended by local government chairmen from the 21 LGAs was also attended by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Advisers and the Kebbi State Anchor Borrowers Program officials.
The meeting, he added, was geared towards standardizing agricultural activities in the state, focus on collation of realistic and genuine data base of farming and agricultural activities such as from crop farming, livestock and fisheries.
Other issues include the participation of stakeholders such as traditional rulers, local government structure and public officers in ascertaining authentic farmland location as well as their coordinates including the requirements of farmers for possible assistance.
He stated that, a census of the farmers, across the state was currently being taken, sequel to the directives of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
“The Governor is willing to assist and he also wants a situation where all those farmers who are genuinely engaged in various farming activities get all the facilities they require .
“This will certainly have a multiplier effects on the nation’s good security and that of Kebbi State.”
Argungu also disclosed that, sequel to the negative tolls of the raging global Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on the economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria extant interest rate of 9 per cent had been reduced to 5 per cent.
He announced that Governor Bagudu has conceived a pre-retirement agricultural scheme for retiring civil servants.
One of the participants, the Chairman of Jega Local Government Area, who doubles as the state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), as well as the National Vice President of ALGON, Alhaji Shehu Marshal -Jaga, commended the efforts of the state government in making sure that all the stakeholders had been involved in the agricultural revolution for food security in the country.
Highlight of the meeting which took place at the Anchor Borrowers Office in Birnin Kebbi featured discussion on Farmer/Loan Registration, introduction of the concept and expected outcomes, 2021 Dry Season Rice Production, among other issues.
