CBN pays N680m to 3,397 Ogun farmers, says Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun Monday said 3,397 farmers under the state’s Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) were  credited with N680million loans by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between March and April 30.

Abiodun said an additional N20million would  be disbursed soon to 103 other farmers, expressing the confidence that more youths and farmers would be inspired to go into farming through the ABP.

The governor spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at the flag-off of the Planting Season and Distribution of Input to the first batch of 3,500 cassava farmers drawn from all 20 local government areas under the ABP.

He noted that registration for ABP is a continous exercise, saying about 60,000 registrations had been recorded for seven commodities, with cassava hitting a record high of 25,000 applications.

Abiodun said: “In the past three weeks, a total of 3,500 Ogun ABP nominees have been credited with funds, and linked with inputs (weed killers and fertiliser) and fields ready for tilling and planting of improved and disease-resistant cassava varieties to be supplied.

“Already, 2,497 farmers were credited with N500million in March 2020 by CBN; an additional payment of over N180million was credited to additional 900 farmers on Wednesday, 29th April, 2020 by the CBN. This leaves a remaining balance of N20million to be credited to 103 farmers.

“Also, a total of 3,500 farmers would represent the first phase of disbursement of fund to cassava farmers who claimed to own their farmland; and have been mapped and geo-tagged by the CBN to totally eliminate the issue of fake and absentee farmers.

“I am proud to say that Ogun State is running an exemplary Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) that is transparent, and a not-business-as-usual type. Our extension agents have identified and located all 3,500 cassava farms for hitch-free input distribution and allocation.

“The system put in place by the state government, CBN and the National Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), is technology-driven and gives no room for sale and diversion of inputs.

“Let me reassure all of us that we will fulfil our earlier promise of providing free supplementary extension services. In addition, to those embedded in the Economy of Production (EoP) for ABP, we will ensure that Ogun State farmers attain high competitive yield that guarantees profitability which encourages continuous engagement in the value chains.

“We have also provided linkage to credit and input which will follow preferred crops by off-takers; financial anchors and offtake; and market capacities