By Giwa SHILE
The Nigeria Incentive- Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) says it has supported no fewer than 387 maize farmers under the CBN-Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) in Abia.
The Head, Corporate Communications of NIRSAL, Ms Ann Ihugba, made the disclosure in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
She said that the benefiting farmers harvested about 1, 354 tonnes of maize valued at over N162 million.
Ihugba said that the organisation would also support more than 366 maize farmers during the 2019 wet season farming in the state.
‘‘Under the NIRSAL model, smallholder farmers are closely supported throughout the production phase up till the point of off-take.
‘‘As part of efforts to ensure optimum yield, farmers are trained on best agronomic practices and farm management to prepare them for the transition from smallholder farming to agribusiness.
‘‘NIRSAL, a Participating Financial Institution (PFI) in the ABP, is supporting 387 maize farmers belonging to Kelechik out-growers scheme,’’ she said.
NIRSAL, a corporation of the CBN, is designed to redefine, measure, re-price and share agribusiness-related credit risks.
The corporation stimulates the flow of affordable finance and investments into the agriculture sector by de-risking the agribusiness finance value chain and building long-term capacity, among others.
