Daura Local Government chapter of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has commenced the registration of 2,000 large scale rice farmers under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.
Alhaji Nura Baure, the Chairman of the Association, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura on Monday.
He said that under the large scale farming scheme, the farmers would be provided with sufficient farming inputs including fertiliser, insecticides, water pumping machines, seedlings and cash, to ensure bumper harvest.
Baure assured that the distribution of the implements and disbursement of cash to the registered large scale farmers would begin by the end of February.
According to the Daura RIFAN chief, the association will be more meticulous in the registration of members in the council area, as only genuine farmers will be registered.
He said that so far, 300 women have been registered for the large scale farming programme, adding, “we recorded significant improvement this time, as only 20 women keyed into the Small Scale Farming Borrowers’ Programme in 2017.”
Baure said that 500 metric tons of rice was harvested in the last cropping season under the Small Scale Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.
He said that about 40 per cent of beneficiaries of first tranche disbursement under the small scale farming programme had repaid their loans.
The chairman lauded the Federal and Katsina State Governments, for awarding the reconstruction and renovation of the Sabke Dam in Mai’ adua Local Government Area and that of Dabiram Dam in Daura Local Government.
Sabke dam will produce 31.6 million litres of water while that of Dabiram will have 15 million litres
1,500 farmers in the area benefited from the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ agricultural programme in 2017.
