By Winifred Bulus
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Kano State in northwest Nigeria has recorded increase in rice produced by farmers in the state from 692,481 tonnes in 2015 to 1,551,720 tonnes in 2016. It has also recorded increase in wheat production from 9,495,024 tonnes in 2015 to 17, 717, 000 tonnes in 2016.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje who announced this in Kano at an Interactive Session with farmers on loan from Central Bank of Nigeria, also stated his intention to work with them to produce about half of the country’s rice demand for 2017.
The Governor lamented key challenges of the loan programme, which he said include delay in rendering the supposed assistance to the farmers and reluctance of some farmers in playing their part in the agreement.
Delegate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, AbdulKadir Ahmad, had earlier stated that the success of the programme was as a result of the agreement with the Kano state government and revealed that N960 million was allocated to Kano farmers and each got N367, 000 worth of loan, in seedlings, pesticides, allied agricultural inputs and cash.
In a remark, Chairman, Kano Anchor Borrower Recovery Team, Prof. Mahmud Ibrahim Daneji confirmed that about 5,540 farmers benefited from the programme and that some have started paying back with farm produce.