More than 17,400 farmers have been registered to benefit from the N4 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan for dry season farming in Katsina State.
Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in the state, Shaibu Wakili, said under the scheme, each of the farmers was expected to cultivate between one and five hectares of land and would receive inputs worth N276,200 for cultivation.
According to him, the inputs will be seeds, fertiliser, spraying machine, liquid fertiliser, insecticide, water pumping machine and empty bags, among others. He added that more than 70 per cent of the inputs had been delivered to collection centres located in Katsina, Daura, Kankia, Dutsin-ma, Malumfashi areas of the state.
Wakili hinted that the programme was geared towards improving rice production, poverty reduction and empowering the farmers.
He said the loans repayment would begin upon the harvest of their produce by farmers, adding that the association had carried out a survey on the location and size of farmlands of the registered beneficiaries.
He therefore expressed hope that Nigeria could become self-sufficient in rice production for both consumption and export, if the programme became successful.
He added that each benefiting farmer would pay a 2 per cent insurance cover to the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Cooperation (NAIC).