Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Rice Farmers Association of Kebbi State from the State’s 225 wards has appealed to federal and state authorities and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend the Anchor Borrowers programme loan repayments duration until 2021 to 2022.
The Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar-Zaki, made the appeal in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday while speaking with newsmen on the havoc of flood to their farmlands across the State.
According to him, ‘farmers, especially rice farmers, have lost all their planted crops to the devastative flood, and could not, in anyway, sustain the repayment of the loan as all what they had, was expended in the plantation.
‘We are, therefore, appealing to the Federal Government, State Governments and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) to suspend the anchor borrower’s loan repayment and collection until 2021 to 2022 when the farmers are back on their feet and can pay,’ the Chairman appealed.
Zaki explained that the farmers were committed to the repayment because almost all the farmers in the State have reduced the burden of their loan after the dry season harvest.
‘In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all our members redeemed a part of their loan and utilised the remnant for the rainy season farming.
‘Our intention was to complete the repayment after this year’s harvest, but God has done what He so wished, the flood ensued and the resultant was destructive upon our crops.
‘We don’t even have farmlands to plant now, and all our farmlands have been submerged by water. Where can we get money to repay the loan?,’ he queried.
According to him, the Association in collaboration with the relevant authorities are still assessing the magnitude of the destruction and loss as the flood sis till wrecking havoc to farmlands in the State.
Zaki also called on the the governments to assist the farmers with agricultural inputs in oder to ensure massive dry season farming when the water receded.