Anchor Borrowers: 40,000 Adamawa rice farmers undergo training

Forty thousand rice farmers in Adamawa are undergoing training under the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Flagging-off the training on Friday in Yola, Gov. Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa said his administration was committed to agriculture which constituted the mainstay of the state’s economy.

Represented by his deputy, Mr Martins Babale, the governor said the goal of the government was to ensure that farmers were engaged all year round for maximum benefit from dry and wet season farming.

“Let me re-iterate our government’s commitment to adopt all policy option that will move our state from civil service dependent economy to one that relies on productive enterprises such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

“The Anchor Borrower Scheme is a key component of that policy option.

“We are committed to ensuring massive participation in this scheme and other poverty reduction and wealth creation schemes, and ensuring increased dominance and visibility as the biggest rice and livestock producing state in the country,” Bindow said.

He said that Adamawa had identified rice, maize, soya beans, sesame seeds and fish as it focal commodities.

The Chairman of the project management team and Secretary to Adamawa State Government, Dr Umar Bindir, said farmers have no reason to be poor if they make maximum use of the opportunity provided by the scheme.

Bindir said that the training being offered the farmers was part of the conditions for beneficiaries.

The branch Comptroller of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Yola, Mr Shuaibu Hussaini, enumerated the objectives of the scheme and successes recorded in some states, particularly Kebbi and Benue.

Representatives of Rural Finance Institution Building Programme, Mr Adamu Ibrahim, and Managing Director of Kuro Communications Ltd handling the training, Mr Mike Enahoro, pledged to ensure the success of the programme.

They lauded the Adamawa Government for its commitment to the scheme and urged beneficiaries in the state to remain focussed like their counterparts in other states for maximum benefit.