Umar Akilu Majeri
No fewer than 40,000 Cotton’s farmers have benefited with a cotton farming loan from the federal government loan through Polaris bank in Jigawa state
This was disclosed by the chairman Cotton farmers’ association Jigawa state chapter Alhaji Lawan Musa Hussaini Kazaure in an exclusive interview with our reporter in Dutse
Alhaji Musa said last year they registered cotton farmers in their registration book as members were over forty thousand people registered with the association as members.
He said out of the registered members about 30,000 farmers have benefited from the federal government loan given to Cotton’s farmers nationwide.
The chairman said the loan which was given to farmers was on the condition to pay back after harvesting their Cotton but unfortunately some farmers did not pay back such loan as agreed.
Lamenting that majority of people who registered and collected the loan lacks awareness; they thought it is a non-refundable loan which is not true, they are now facing serious challenges because they must pay back that loan they or they will face court action.
The chairman confirmed that those will face serious challenge are large scale farmers whom collected big money and refused to pay back as he said they will soon be arrested as the money they collected is not the association money, but bank money.
The chairman said “as our Target this year we registered over 40,000 farmers for this cotton farmers’ loan in the state but out of that number only 4,479 ware successfully accredited to receive this year’s loan because the central bank notified that some of them received loan somewhere else and they are yet to pay back that loan.
He added that based on that request the national Secretariat increased the number to 16,000 farmers that will benefit from this year’s loan in the state.
We are now working with Keystone bank to harmonize things as well as security officers to avoid any problems that may hinder us in the future from accessing loans as each farmer in the state this year will receive a package of N153,750 with seed, chemical and all necessary farming inputs in the state.
He also dismissed the allegations that some aggrieved youths have stormed their office demanding their right to collect loans.
