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| Hon. Nuhu Baba, Chairman NECAS, Yobe State. |
The Development Finance
Officer, CBN, Damaturu, Mr. S. U. Mohammed expressed the apex bank's disappointment today, Friday in Damaturu at
the distribution of 2019 Wet Season farming input for rice farming in Yobe
State.
"We feel sad when
we see farmers selling off their farm inputs that are given to them to change
their lives to other people. This is most unfortunate and we are calling on
those with the intention of engaging in such unhealthy practices to stop.
"Farmers need to know that
this is a loan given to them and it must be repaid. If you sale the inputs and
dont farm, how are you going to pay back the loan", Mr. Mohammed asked.
IMPACTONLINEnigeria check gathered that most of the farmers sell off their input immediately they are collected to some unscrupulous money bags who normally lurk around distribution centres to carryout their mission.
Investigation has also revealed that some of the farmers, mostly displaced people dispose their input due to poverty as they prefer cash to feed their families.
IMPACTONLINEnigeria check gathered that most of the farmers sell off their input immediately they are collected to some unscrupulous money bags who normally lurk around distribution centres to carryout their mission.
Investigation has also revealed that some of the farmers, mostly displaced people dispose their input due to poverty as they prefer cash to feed their families.
Also in his address, the
representative of Bank of Agric, Mr. Amshi equally voiced his anger with the
attitude of the farmers, reminding them that the loan has to be paid by the
beneficiaries and not those who buy the inputs from them, and therefore no
justification of selling off their inputs.
Earlier, the State Chairman of
North East Commodity Association, Hon. Nuhu Baba disclosed that a total of
11,516 rice farmers across the 17 Local Governments in Yobe State will benefit
from the 2019 distribution and will be cultivating 19,784 heaters of land.
Hon. Nuhu informed that, his
association in conjunction with CBN and BOA carried out a similar exercise last
year with 5002 farmers across the state except Fika Local Government that did
not participate in the program. A total of 11,333.5 hecters of land were
cultivated.
He added that 70% of last year’s
loans have been recovered and recovery of the remaining percentage is still on-going,
adding that the program is a cashless program.
"It’s a cashless program
that will provide farmers the needed inputs, which comprise improved certified
seed, water pumps, knapsacks sprayer, insecticide and herbicides.
"Under the program,
mechanized services will also be made available to farmers. The Program
entailed allocation of one or two heaters of land to each farmer depending on
his capacity per hecters.
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| A female beneficiary from Damaturu collecting her inputs. |
"Before now, the size of
each farm land had been captured and an identity card was issued to each of the
beneficiaries for easy identification and documentation to enable farmers to
access the required support", Nuhu said.
The chairman in an interactive session with journalists after the even disclosed that two people have been arrested and handed over to the law enforcement agencies for selling their input, stressing that, "we cannot even give anyone with the intention of selling off the inputs".
Speaking on the selection process, Hon. Nuhu explained that, the list of the farmers is always generated by the various traditional rulers just as their BVN must also correspond with the with the phone numbers provided with the passport of the beneficiary.
The chairman in an interactive session with journalists after the even disclosed that two people have been arrested and handed over to the law enforcement agencies for selling their input, stressing that, "we cannot even give anyone with the intention of selling off the inputs".
Speaking on the selection process, Hon. Nuhu explained that, the list of the farmers is always generated by the various traditional rulers just as their BVN must also correspond with the with the phone numbers provided with the passport of the beneficiary.
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