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Business News of Sunday, 25 July 2021

Source: punchng.com

Disburse approved agric loans - Farmers tell FG

Alhaji Mohammed Nanono Alhaji Mohammed Nanono

Farmers and other operators in the agriculture value chain have called on the Federal Government to stop delaying the release of the already approved loans meant for the development of the sector.

The industry operators said releasing the funds now would have a greater impact as the country is currently in the planting season.

The PUNCH reported on Monday that over 2.2 million farmers would receive about N12.3bn as agricultural subsidy from the Federal Government in the coming weeks.

Presidency officials confirmed that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had already approved a N6.15bn agricultural subsidy for the first batch of 1.2 million farmers.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Andrew Kwasari, had told our correspondent that the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System had validated the first batch of beneficiaries.

“The President has approved subsidies for 1.2 million farmers in Batch A, and the NIBSS has validated their bank accounts and BVN (Bank Verification Numbers) as farmers. We have another batch of over one million, and NIPSS has also validated their details and it will be sent to Mr President for approval,” Kwasari had said.

Reacting to the development, the National Vice President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chief Daniel Okafor, said, “Let them give it out now. It is when they roll it out that we will know what they are doing.

“But let them know that everything works with time. It should not just be about claiming that you are giving farmers loans. Rather you should give it to them (farmers) now.”

He added, “Don’t let it drag for months when the rains have subsided. It should not come during the off-season. We are in the wet season now; don’t drag it to the off-season. Not every farmer is involved in dry season farming. So, let them give it out now since it has been approved by the President.”

Okafor, who doubles as the national president, Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria, however, urged the government to work with recognised stakeholders.

He wondered why the government had not used the data provided by AFAN in reaching out to farmers across the country.

He said, “When we had the National Council meeting on agriculture some weeks ago at the International Conference Centre, I met him (Kwasari) and told him that the government should work with stakeholders.

“This is because we collected data for the past one year and gave it to the Ministry of Agriculture but since then they did nothing with that. So. are you working with the data we collected or another one? It is confusing.

“However, whatever they say they will do, let them do it. If it is the farmers that they are giving it to, fine. But if it is for another set of farmers, it is up to them. But we collected some data and gave it to the agric ministry.”

On his part, the National President, Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Dr Edwin Uche, said it was vital for the government to release the funds to support farmers.

“The challenge in the business now is stiff, and therefore farmers and other stakeholders in the sector would find such support handy. So, we encourage the government to make these funds available now,” he said.

On data of farmers, Kwasari had insisted that the Federal Government had captured over six million farmers and that their various details were in his office.