ASABA/Nigeria: Over sixty thousand (60,000) farmers have been registered across the selected enterprises of Cassava, Rice and Fisheries under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Scheme (ABS).
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Austin Chikezie, made the disclosure today at the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing when he presented the activities and achievements of his Ministry, at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information, Asaba.
Chief Chikezie however noted that about four thousand farmers had been fully accredited and approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to participate in the first phase of the programme.
The Commissioner stated that as part of requirement for qualification to participate, farmers were expected to own verifiable farm sites, to open an account with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and to provide their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
According to the Commissioner, certified input suppliers and reliable off-takers had been screened and selected for the execution of the programme, adding that CBN had set aside N2 Billion to implement the programme in the State.
He said that the programme would be implemented in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Bank of Agriculture, and that the payment for the supply of inputs to participants had commenced.
This Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme, Chief Chikezie, explained, was a financial model for small holder farmers in Rice, Cassava and Fish, designed to increase production and supply raw materials to food processors.
Through this scheme, he said, qualified commodity out growers were assisted to identify an anchor firm (Off taker / processor) and supported with loans at 9% interest rate by the CBN to increase their farm holdings. High quality inputs and technical assistance are also provided for them.
He disclosed that the State Government had given approval for the State’s participation in the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), saying that it was a special project for the empowerment of youths within the ages of 18-35 years in cluster farms not less than 100 Hectares, under the Anchors Borrowers model.
The Agriculture Commissioner noted that the maximum loan facility of the programme was N1.5 Billion and that Delta State was participating in tomatoes and fishery clusters.
He added that a total of 760 youths had been profiled for the tomatoes cluster which he said would utilize the Green House Technology, saying that over 500 youths had also been profiled for the fisheries clusters.
