The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Daura Local Government chapter of Katsina State, says 1,600 farmers registered for the Anchor Borrowers agricultural loan scheme of the Federal Government in the area.
Alhaji Nura Baure, the local government RIFAN chairman, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura on Friday.
He said that the programme was aimed at producing rice in commercial quantity, adding that “Daura is blessed with thousands of hectares of arable fadama land suitable for irrigation.’’
He said the farmers would be provided with fertilizer, insecticides, water pumping machines and cash.
He said that there were two categories of farmers who were expected to benefit from the loan; and listed them as individual, large or small scale farmers.
Baure, called on the farmers to make judicious use of the loan and warned them against diverting the loan to other wasteful ventures.
According to him, disbursement of the loan is expected to start by next week through the authorised banks.
Baure however said that registration of interested farmers was still ongoing, and called on the people of the area, especially the youth to embrace the programme.(NAN)
