Mixed reactions trail Buhari’s flag-off of dry season farming in Kebbi

There were mixed reaction over President Muhammadu Buhari’s flagged-off of the 2015/2016 Dry Season Rice and Wheat Farming as well as the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ programme, a financing model for small holder farmers penultimate Tuesday in Kebbi State. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor  Godwin Emefiele during the flag-off ceremony, said CBN has set aside […]

There were mixed reaction over President Muhammadu Buhari’s flagged-off of the 2015/2016 Dry Season Rice and Wheat Farming as well as the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ programme, a financing model for small holder farmers penultimate Tuesday in Kebbi State.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor  Godwin Emefiele during the flag-off ceremony, said CBN has set aside N40 billion under the programme  out of the N220 billion micro small and medium enterprise fund for farmers at single digit interest rate of maximum 9%.
He also said over 200,000 rice and wheat farmers will benefit from the scheme ranging from N150, 000 to N250,000 and to assist in procuring necessary agricultural inputs.
Emefiele said the programme was designed to create economic linkages between farmers and processors , not only to ensure agricultural output of rice and wheat but also close the gap between production and consumption.
Mustapha Yahaya Bawa, a Jega-based agricultural consultant and a dry season rice farmer, said the single digit 9% interest on the loan facilities for farmers is still on the high side because farmers in the state have still not recovered from the recent flood disaster that ravaged most farms across the state.
“When there is flood, the soil loses every ingredient that is also carried along with debris which needs clearing up of farms and we do not expect first harvest to be of good yield.
“Therefore, we expect the loan to be of zero interest for at least the first three-four years as is obtainable in many countries,” he said.
He commended the introduction of uptakers as guarantors of the loans to farmers instead of the former arrangement channeling loan through cooperative society where according to him “money end up in pockets of politicians.”
He also stated that the loan of N150,000-N250,000 is also “too meager when you are talking of a bag of fertilizer costing up to N5,000-N6,000 in the open market , not to talk of hiring labour itself and in rear case, hiring tractor which is not even available.
“The programme is a good effort, but government should first make available the agricultural machinery as a priority for catching up with modern farming technique instead of the widely used animal traction method that is still widely practiced in the state,” Bawa said. 
Chairman, Kebbi State Wheat Farmers Association and former Project Manager Kebbi Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KARDA), Alhaji  Saidu Abdullahi Argungu, however, hailed the interest rate of 9% “compared to 24% charged by commercial banks.
“For every one hectare of dry season wheat farm, we envisaged N132,500 facility to produce 60 bags. While that of rice, N220,000 is required to cultivate 80-90 bags. So I want to believe that, the loan of between N150,000-N250,000 is also okay for now,” he said.
Argungu also said the wheat produced in Kebbi has up to 15% protein content as against the foriegn wheat that has between 9-10% protein content.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Agriculture (BOA) Professor Dambala Danju said since the commencement of activities of the bank, following its resuscitation in 2001, a total of N61.2 billion has been disbursed to no less than 760 enterprises.
He added that, within the same period, the bank also mobilized over 1,100,000 accounts while packaging over 40 collaborations and strategic alliances with local and international partners.
During the occasion at Zauro Airstrip in the outskirts of Birnin Kebbi , President Buhari said the project has the potentials of creating millions of jobs and addressing  poverty amongst the farmers.
He commended Kebbi for taking the lead in the project and its effort in revival of rice and wheat production with other six states of Zamfara , Adamawa ,Jigawa , Ebonyi Gombe and Taraba who have demonstrated and indicated interest for assisting farmers.
A dry season rice farmer in Zuru, Zuru Local Government Area, Nasiru Abubakar Suru said he is not aware of the amount of the loan facility.
 He however stated that he has enough land to cultivate up to 5,000 bags from his current production rate of 700bags if a loan of N5million will be made available to him.