CBN Commences Distribution of Farm Inputs in Cross River

• CBN Commences Distribution of Farm Inputs in Cross River

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Cross-River State government has formally commenced the distribution of agricultural inputs for the 2018 wet farming season in the state and its environs.

This was in furtherance of the central bank’s resolve to make agriculture regain an enviable position as a business venture in the country.

The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, while performing the ceremony assured the over 12,000 farmers already enrolled under the auspices of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), of continuous support with a view to repositioning agriculture both as business venture for employment generation, wealth creation and self–sufficiency in food production.

Emefiele, who was represented by the central bank’s spokesman, Mr Isaac Okorafor, commended the state government for its untiring efforts which had started yielding results in terms of awareness among the farmers and provision quality seedlings.

He further noted that over 400,000farmers had been supported under ABP to cultivate twelve crops like rice, soya, maize, palm produce, cotton cassava among others.

He advised genuine farmers to key into the technology–driven input distribution system, with a view to benefiting from the low interest rate of nine per cent facility.

According to the CBN Governor, the biometric capturing which identified farmers to specific farmland through mapping had eliminated the issue of ‘absentee’ or non-practising farmers from benefiting from the inputs and other facilities.

On the part of the beneficiaries of the inputs and other facilities under the Bank’s intervention programmes, Emefiele, was quoted in a statement, to have urged them to take repayment terms seriously, saying it would go a long way in ensuring sustainability of the programmes.

In a remark at the ceremony, the state chairman of RIFAN, chief John Ettahdisclosed that provision of agricultural inputs had greatly encouraged farmers in the state.

He noted that it was now possible to cultivate their farmlands all year round with ‘two wet’ and ‘one dry’ season farming. He further hinted that rice farmers in the state had cultivated 21,000hectres of farmland with an expected average yield of five metric tons per hectre.

Etta, also assured farmers favourable market conditions for their produce as off-takers on standby to collect the produce from farmers at and agreed and reasonable price.

The Cross River State Governor, Prof.Ben Ayade who was represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof. Egrinya Eneji, reiterated that agriculture remains the channel for sustainable development for Nigeria hence the state government was pragmatic in leveraging the value chain opportunities offered by sector.