from George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

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A poultry farmer, Olukaoha Coleman has clinched the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), U
Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund ( ACGSF) best farmer award for 2021 in Imo state .
Olukaoha, also  went home  with a cash award of N100, 000, while the Donatus Ozuruigbo , a mixed crop farmer, Sunday Ndubuisi Oforkaja who came second and third got cash awards of N75,000 and N50, 000 respectively .
Speaking at the event held yesterday at the CBN, Owerri branch in Imo state , Mr Camelius Ogbuagu, head, department of Finance office saddled with the responsibilities of providing funding for the scheme said that Best farmer’s Award which is annual event is primarily to encourage hard working farmers under the scheme in the state.
He said , ” This is been done annually across the nation. Here in Imo state there is a committee that select farmers applied under this scheme. The Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme which started since 1978 has been extended to all agricultural value – chain including machineries. Those farmers who are under this scheme gets their funds through Microfinance banks with which they are registered and those who re – pay their loans as at when due gets additional loans to carry on with the expansion of their agricultural businesses “.
Mr . Ogbuagu, admonished other farmers in the state to take advantage of the scheme as it is a fluke as about 26, 786 farmers across the country have benefitted from scheme  between January and September of  2021.
He therefore , urged the awardees in the state to strive hard and compete for the national award where the winner gets a cash of N1M.
” I call on the Imo state government to urge the people to access .CBN provides 38 percent of the funding and it will help in creating jobs in the state . CBN will also do what we have here today next year for those farmers who done well. Now , those who won at the state level can also participate at the national level where the winners goes home with N1M “._
Speaking earlier , Mrs Ugo Chukwu who represented the CBN Owerri branch controller said that the winners had emerged as a result of their hard work.
” It is a mistake that  you are here today . This award was hotly contested because the members of the committee set up for this award had moved round your farmers and today you have won because you have been adjudged as the best in the entire state . It is an annual award across the federation and it is hard because you for (ACGSF) “.
Also, NIRSAL ,Ugochinyere Osuji ,commended the LAPO Microfinance which emerged as the best microfinance bank in the state for supporting the agricultural sector in the state.
She urged the award winners to spread the good news of what the Apex Bank is doing.
However, Mrs Osuji advised the farmers to diversified into packaging instead of just been content of growing primary crops.
Mr. Olukaoha Coleman who won the best farmer in the state , expressed his gratitude to the CBN  and the LAPO Microfinance bank who had ” opened my eyes to the opportunities in poultry “.
” I have over 1,000 Birds . I started with LAPO Microfinance three years ago and I have been using the loan. I thank the CBN for their encouragement ” ..