From Suleiman Isah, Minna
The Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, has released N1.5billion for Accelerated Agriculture Development Scheme to boost the production of Rice, Maize and Soya Beans in Niger state.
Alhaji Haruna Dukku, the state Commissioner for Livestock and Fisheries, disclosed this at the weekend in Government House after the state council meeting, saying the state was able to access the fund due to the soft conditions made available to farmers by the country’s apex bank .
According to him no fewer than 10,000 youths from the ages between 18 to 35 years will benefit from the various agricultural stimulus at both the state local, communities and ward level so as to ensure that every serious minded youth is captured in the program.
Dukku reaffirmed the scheme which is the 2018 scheme allotted to state government by the CBN was to among other things shore up the agricultural base of the state in terms of production and meeting up with the state agriculture transformation agenda.
He added that the state government has confirmed the resuscitating of the 45 years old abandoned Rice Mill in Bida constructed by Korea embassy in Nigeria stressing that the time has come for the government to encourage growth in the agricultural sector.
“The Korean embassy in Nigeria has assisted the state government ìn the construction of the biggest rice mill ìn the whole of the northern Nigeria and the state government would do all it’s best to ensure that the mill is brought to use for the benefit of our rice farmers who are scattered around the state ”
He then assured that the other reputable rice mill in Nigeria based in Ibadan with about 8 outlets in the country and own by an indigenous Company would also sign an Memorandum Of Understanding MOU with the state for bumber rice production .
