14 Local Governments In Jigawa To Benefit From Agric Business Loan
Umar Akilu Majeri
Fourteen selected local government areas in Jigawa State are to benefit from an Agricultural business loan, this was announced by the State Programme Office IFAD Alhaji Umar Danzomo shortly after a sensitization workshop organized for 14 local government areas farmers and members of Agric business where 3 persons each were drawn from each local government.
Dan zomo said the seminar was organized to assist the farmers as the federal government has received a loan from International Fund For Agricultural Development, IFAD, to finance the cost of the Climate Change And Adaptation And Agribusiness Support Programme, CASP.
Dan zomo explained further that the CASP is being implemented in the Savana belt of Nigeria which are the seven northern states of Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara State.
He assured that the programme will cover a total of 727 villages across 104 local government areas of the northern states of the federation.
The Aims of the CASP is to reduce the level of rural poverty with a view to increasing the quality of food security and accelerated economic growth on a sustainable basis explained further that the main focus of the programme is to increase incomes and enhance food security and reduce vulnerability for small scale farmers particularly women and youths in the participating state.
Danzomo added that CASP has been working along with the value chain approach with a focus on three value chain crops which include Groundnut, Rice, and soya bean, hitherto CASP operated on seven value chains include Cowpea, Groundnut, Maize, Millets, Rice Sorghum and Soya Beans
According to IFAD program officer he said under IFAD CASP they estimated cultivated hectares of lands for the three value chains crops are for Rice it is 5015 hectares cultivated with expected yield s of N22 Million, which is 567.5metric tones
For Groundnut, it is 1571 hectares cultivated and it is expected to yield N2.5 million which is equivalent to 39275 metric tons while for Soya beans crops it is 55 hectares cultivated equivalent to N1.5 million expected to get 82.5 metric tones
Also the state Agric business promotion officer IFAD CASP Malam Garba Garki said the selected 14 local government are Dutse local Government, Kiyawa, Miga, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, And Taura Local government areas.
Others include Garki, Sule Tankarkar, Gwiwa, Guri, Auto, Birniwa, And Kafin Hausa Local Government areas.
He said the program is targeted at bringing markets to farmers where they could be linked with buyers to sell their farm produce at an affordable price easily.
He also said that the registered farmers will also be linked with banks to be able to access loans while other companies will support the farmers with Agric input so as to assist the farmers to be self-reliant.
