Rice Farmers Register For Wet Season In Katsina

5,654 rice farmers in Daura and Sandamu Local Government Areas of Katsina State already have their data captured to receive loan under the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers Programme for the raining season.

Alhaji Nura Baure, Chairman, RIFAN Chairman, Daura Local Government, said during the flag- off of the exercise on Monday in Daura, that the association had captured 2,961 farmers for the agricultural scheme.

He said the basic requirement that qualifies a prospective beneficiary were obtaining of Bank Verification Number, registering with the association and endorsement by district head and a competent court of law.

The chairman said more farmers can still register, but stressed that the data capture exercise would soon close as only 10 days had been earmarked for the exercise.

“We would ensure that we reach the set target,’’ he said, adding that about 900 women were among those whose data had been captured and issued with forms to complete the remaining processes.

“I am encouraged at the turnout of women farmers for the scheme,’’ he added.

Officials of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in the two local governments said the process was ongoing and open to more farmers wishing to participate.

Baure cautioned those registering for the programme with ulterior motives that they would face prosecution if they fail to repay the loan granted them.

He commended the Federal Government for the scheme as according to him about 2,500 farmers in the area have achieved self-reliance courtesy of the anchor borrower programme.

A total of 896 farmers in the local government benefited from the last distribution of the dry season agricultural inputs under the programme.

Similarly, Alhaji Usman Nalado, Chairman, RIFAN, Sandamu Local Government said that the data of 2,693 farmers had been captured for the programme.

Nalado, who is the Matawallen Sandamu, told NAN in Sandamu that 721 of those captured were women.

“We would not relent in encouraging our mothers to key into such lofty scheme,’’ the chairman said, adding that successful farmers would receive water pumping machine, fertilizer, seedlings, herbicides and other relevant farming implements.

He said the procedure of accessing the loan and repayment mode was uniform nationwide as beneficiaries were expected to repay the loan with bags of paddy rice not cash.

608 farmers in the area received farming inputs during the last dry season farming under the programme.