The General Manager of CSS Farm, Dr Ifeoma Anachukwu, has said that no fewer than 4, 630 rice farmers in Nasarawa state have so far benefited from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrower programme.
Anachukwu said this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Lafia, during the distribution of farm inputs to rice farmers by CBN, in collaboration with CSS Farm.
She said that the Federal Government initiated the anchor borrower programme to boost farmers’ capacity to expand their farming activities.
Anachukwu said: “A total of 4,630 are the beneficiaries of these inputs being distributed.
“With the training we gave them, they should ensure that their farming activities and produce are more than those of peasant farmers because they are into mechanised farming.
“I advise them to make good use of the inputs to expand their farming activities.
“If they have any challenge that seems to be above their capacity they should report to the appropriate authority for intervention.”
The representative of CBN, Mr George Antachi, urged the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs.
The North Central Manager of the Bank of Agriculture, Ibrahim Alamba, said that the federal government came up with the anchor borrower programme to encourage farmers in the country.
Alamba advised the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs to make quick money but utilise them to improve and expand their farming activities.
“They should avoid the attraction to sell the inputs to make quick money. That will not help them.
“Quick money without planning will quickly vanish but that which you invest will last for a period of time,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Luka Attah thanked the federal government for initiating policies to improve agricultural production in the country.
Attah gave the assurance that they would make judicious use of the inputs to expand their farming activities.
The inputs distributed at the launch ranged from fertilisers to pumping machines, sacks, assorted herbicides and knapsack sprayers.
