THE Delta State Government in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Agric (BOA), has put plans in place to assist small holder farmers through the CBN anchor a borrowers’ scheme that will enable them increase production and supply of feedstock to processors of Agro input.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources Mr. Austin Chikezie, during a sensitization awareness creation meeting of stakeholders and farmers on the CBN anchor borrowers’ programme held at the Delta State ADP Ibusa training hall.
According to him “a lot of syndicate meetings as issues that regards the processes has been on, we have been able to locate four major courses which is the rice, cassava, oil palm and fishery and we are going to work with the genuine farmers it’s no longer business as usual; we are doing everything possible to ensure that the real farmers benefit from this programme,’’ he said.
Meanwhile the representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Badaiki Matthew, explained that the dynamics of the CNB anchor scheme programme, involves a finance model whereby an anchor firm which is also an off-taker, the CBN and state government organizes out growers to benefit from the scheme from a loan, high quality input and technical assistance.
Badaiki said, “the programme is for strong and genuine farmers and not a political settlement, everything has to be done online there are conditions precedent to accessing the loan which includes the availability of a willing off take who is a private sector processor, the availability of land and farmers grouping into cooperative societies after verification of farmers’ particulars by a designated bank which is the bank of agriculture, the loans will be disbursed directly to farmers. Payment for inputs supplied to individual farmers would be made at source via banks and at harvest, farmers are required to sell to a dedicated off taker to facilitate loan recovery by the designated bank.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sir Austin Ederoghen advised the farmers to maintain transparency as they key into the programme as this will help effect their business, stressing that the programme which is meant for small holder farmers to increase production in terms of the agricultural commodities will provide food security for their house hold and support for those who process agro inputs and that they should key into it as this is a road to prosperity.