Over 500 rice farmers benefit from CBN anchor borrowers scheme in Bayelsa

Over 500 rice farmers in Bayelsa State have received seedlings, fertilizers, spray machines and other rice farming inputs from the ongoing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Federal Government.

This is part of the flag-off ceremony for the first phase of the programme in the state for rice farmers, held on Friday at the Agricultural Development Programme office premises in Yenagoa.

The Bayelsa State Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Sir Ezekiel Ogbianko, who disclosed this in his speech at the flag-off ceremony, also stated that the association has already cleared large hectares of land across the state in order to flood the local markets with rice produced in the state.

While commending the Federal Government, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bank of Agriculture for collaborating to ensure that programme kicked off, Ogbianko said, “We as an association and the entire rice farmers in Bayelsa State are very sure of the impact this project will make on communities across the state, as jobs will be created massively to engage our youths and every available land will be used for profitable agricultural activities.”

The RIFAN chairman explained that some of the items distributed were 1,200 bags of fertilizers of various types, 400 tins of herbicides and sprayers among others.