Edo State Government has announced access to N5 billion loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme for rice and maize production across the three senatorial districts in the state.
Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry, Prince Joe Okojie, who disclosed this, said the state is targeting to harvest 17,000 tonnes of rice and 11,000 tonnes of maize by cultivating 6,600 hectares of land at the end of this year’s planting season.
Explaining more on the CBN facility, Okojie at Illushi, Esan South East local government area during the sensitising programme for 200 farmers, said whereas N2.2 billion would be used for crop production, N2.3 billion will go for land development and N100 million for irrigation.
The remaining N1.2bn would be used to cultivate rice in Iguoriakhi, Iguomon, Illushi, Warrake and Agenebode while maize would be cultivated at Usugbenu, Sobe and Ekpoma.
Okojie averred that “We hope to produce millionaire farmers this year. We do not anticipate a drop in the price of rice. We are hoping that we are able to produce about 17,000 metric tonnes cultivating about 4,400 hectares of rice farm.
“We took about N5 billion under the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme. About N2.2 billion is for crop production, N2.3 billion is for land development and N100m for irrigation.
“We are not doing cassava now but maize. We are looking to cultivate about 2,200 hectares and we are hoping that we will be able to harvest approximately 11,000 metric tonnes.
Edo State government also hinted that majority of Libyan returnees will be integrated into the farms as part of their resettlement programmes after undergoing series of rehabilitation.
Business Hilights recalls that Edo State had the highest number of returnees Libyan migrants in the last four years.
