By Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
The Central bank of Nigeria Dutse branch has disbursed about four billion naira to rice famers under anchor borrower programme in the state.
Coordinator of the programme, Alhaji Abdu Amadu stated this on Monday during the distribution of 2021 dry season rice farming materials in Dutse.
He said the anchor borrower program was introduced by the apex bank in 2015 with a view to support peasant farmers in the country.
Amadu explained that in the last two years, Jigawa state government has refunded over 700 million naira to the bank following the supply of substandard wheat seeds to farmers under the anchor borrowers program.
He therefore called on the state ministries and agencies and other stakeholders to cooperate with the bank on loan recovery.
Also speaking, the chairman of rice farmers association of Nigeria represented by Mallam Muhammad Auwal said rice farmers have expressed their gratitude to president Muhammad Buhari, Governors of Kebbi and Jigawa states for their contribution and support to improve farming activities in the country.
He said with the introduction of anchor borrowers and cluster farming the association had over one hundred thousand members in the state.
In his speech, Governor Badaru Abubakar advised people in the state to embrace farming activities to ensure food security and economic well being.
He said the present administration has introduced a number of initiatives to improved yields and provide farmers with new farming techniques.
