About 120,000 rice farmers in Kano state have been pencilled down to benefit from the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers program for this year dry season farming. The statement was disclosed by the state chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu in an interview in Kano on Tuesday (NAN).
He revealed the list of the rice farmers has already been forwarded to the central bank for onward verification and processing of the loan facility.
Aliyu disclosed that each farmer would be given a package of at least N220,000 comprising farm inputs and some amount of money expected to be money for payment of labour. He added, about 150,000 rice farmers were captured for the facility, however, after scrutiny, it was reduced to 120,000 excluding those with one problem or the other.
The state chairman advised farmers who were not able to make it due to BVN related problems to exercise patience assuring them, they will be considered for the wet season farming programme.
While advising those considered making judicious use of the facility to boost rice production, Aliyu pledge they will take rice production to the next level.
In his words, “This is an opportunity for our members to improve their socio-economic status since the federal government is devoted to supporting the Agric sector for massive food cultivation in the country”.
He enjoined farmers across the country to see rice production as an opportunity to end the importation of food into the country.
