Sokoto rice farmers get early input from NIRSAL

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has flagged-off input distribution to thousands of farmers in Sokoto State. NIRSAL’s Head of Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Office (PMRO), Mr. Zahraddeen Muazu, who represented the Agency’s MD, said NIRSAL’s mandate to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through agriculture informs its commitment […]

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has flagged-off input distribution to thousands of farmers in Sokoto State.

NIRSAL’s Head of Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Office (PMRO), Mr. Zahraddeen Muazu, who represented the Agency’s MD, said NIRSAL’s mandate to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through agriculture informs its commitment to the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).

He said that the ABP is meant to provide a strong springboard for food security and wealth creation through off-take market-linked commercial agricultural production by smallholder farmers He therefore pleaded with them to work closely with NIRSAL’s PMROs   who have specialized capacity in the area of farm-level risk  management, project monitoring, and extension services, and to put the knowledge gained from the continuing capacity building and training workshops organized by NIRSAL during the regular Field Practice meetings.

NIRSAL had already launched dry season input supply in various states over the last two weeks and will continue with the input supply distribution this week in Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba and Kano States. In the coming weeks, the ABP input distribution will move to Anambra, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ondo and Zamfara States, where cassava, maize, cocoa, rice and poultry farmers will receive input supplies ahead of the early wet season.

According to a statement from the Agency, the new approach of very early season and on- time Input supply system was proposed by NIRSAL to the CBN and was expeditiously approved by the Governor of the CBN thus breaking the jinx of late season Input supply as was previously experienced by farmers.

Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Sokoto State Chapter, Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, represented by the Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Tambari, applauded NIRSAL and the CBN for this new system of very early input supply and timely distribution, saying it would provide farmers early head start for the season thus giving them sufficient time to anticipate and exert control over field risk events.

to plant rice in the dry season, because we have received water pumps, fertilizers and good seeds for dry season farming.” Other farmers affirmed that they expect a bumper harvest early in June.