RADIO NIGERIA

The Federal Government has commenced the sale of 200,000 metric tomnes of paddy rice cultivated in the North West to 18 millers out of 30 in the country.

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this at the 5th anniversary of Anchor Borrower programme and National Rice Festival of the second cycle of 2020/2021 dry season rice cultivation and Flag off of sales of paddy rice 2020 harvest to millers in Birnin Kebbi.

Dignitaries at the event.

 

According to Mr Emefiele, the public will witness the harvest and sales of over 200,000 metric tones of the paddy rice in the North West zone.

He revealed that, CBN had financed over two point nine million small holder farmers cultivating three point six million hectares of land across twenty one commodities through over thirty three participating financial institutions in the 36 including the Fedral Capital Territory.

CBN Governor and some State Governors

The Governor explained that the experience of 2015 to date, had led to the significant improvement in the execution of the programme, saying the bank had added several layers of control to improve on transparency and accountability among stakeholders.

“Today is a demonstration of the growth that had been attained in the agricultural sphere”.

Mr. Emefiele, described the massive pyramids being launched as part of the harvest from the CBN partners schemes, saying, it was a further confirmation of significant increase in domestic production of key staple foods in the country.

The Governor, however expressed the bank’s commitment to financing one million hectares of rice farms in the present dry season farming with the plan of exploring two cycles of production with the season.

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, said the display of the rice pyramid witnessed, was parts of the loan repayment programme of the CBN Anchor Borrower programme launched in 2015 in the state.

According to the Governor, the rice pyramid also shows that, despite the challenges of devastating covid-19 pandemic on oil revenues, flooding and other issues, the hardworking populace supported by good economic policies under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and economic institutions, particularly the CBN as well as other ministries, the resilient Nigerian people have been at work.

Governor Bagudu, expressed optimism that, farmers would take the country out of the economic challenges and be food secured.

Also speaking, the President of Benin Republic, Mr Patrice Talon, represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Aurelie Agbenonci, said that a team of about four ministers was in the state to witness the celebration of successes by the state in particular and country at large, describing it as a celebration of hardwork and commitment by Nigerian farmers.

 

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