About 600 rice farmers in Adamawa are to benefit from the dry season rice production programme under a special pilot project of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The National President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, made the disclosure on Friday while inaugurating the distribution of inputs to beneficiaries of the project in Yola.
Tagged, RIFAN/CBN/BOA Model, he said three states would benefit from the pilot project, adding that it was in collaboration with RIFAN and Bank of Agriculture (BOA).
Goronyo was represented by the National Treasury of association, Alhaji Sadiq Daware.
According to Goronyo, the project which is cashless, would provide farmers with the needed inputs comprising improved seedlings, water pumps, chemicals and other services such as land preparations.
He noted that the difference between the project and anchor borrowers scheme was that small scale farmers under the programme would not pay equity contribution.
Also speaking, the representative of CBN, Mr Ahmed Umar and that of Bank of Agriculture, Mrs Mercy Baba, urged beneficiaries to ensure prompt repayment of the loan package to enable more farmers benefit.
The Adamawa branch chairman of RIFAN, Mr Stephen Maduwa, lauded the selection of Adamawa farmers for the pilot project and called on the beneficiaries to make maximum use of the opportunity.
Maduwa said the 600 beneficiaries would cultivate a total of 1, 176 hectares of land.
He said beneficiaries of the project were issued with identity card which captured the size of their farms, to enable them get the required support.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Phineas Elisha, also lauded the stakeholders in the project and described the effort as another big boost to rice production in the country. (NAN)
