N8.9 billion agric intervention: Gombe farmers commence creation of grains pyramids

The dream of Northern Nigeria returning to its lost glory of being the bastion of food production has started yielding results with the creation of large pyramids of sorghum, maize, soya beans and cotton in Gombe State following an N8.9 billion Federal Government Agricultural intervention.

The unveiling of the pyramids took place at the flag-off of loan payment and handing over ceremony of produce to Community Deport and Exchange centre (COMDEC) under the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture, North-East Commodity Association, and Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN.

According to Alhaji Ahmed Muhammad Dukku, Gombe State chapter Chairman of North-East Commodity Association (NECAS), the occasion was a happy one for farmers in the State following the handing over of over 30, 000 bags of sorghum, maize, soya beans and cotton which formed the pyramid to boost food product for the country.

He said the pyramid is the repayment of loans given to farmers on the platform of the North-East Commodity Association by the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Bank of Agriculture.

He explained that over 8,000 farmers in Gombe state who benefitted from the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN have cultivated and produced the produce being unveiled.

He said, “Farmers have appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government that is why we are willingly bringing back the loan and repayments through this produce you are seeing. This pyramid you are seeing and all the stores behind us here are filled to the brim with produce that have been collected from farmers that have benefitted from the ABP through NECAS.

He explained further that “people are employed aggregating and preparing all produce for handing over to our off-taker. The produce you are seeing before us here is what we received just this morning. On daily bases, we receive nothing less than 600 to 700 bags from farmers across the eleven Local Government Areas of Gombe State”.

National Chairman of NECAS, Alhaji Sadiq Umar Daware said NECAS was deliberately established last year to coordinate the activities of small holder farmers in the North-east as it relates to benefiting the anchor borrowers programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He said NECAS had approached CBN for it to be included in the commodity associations that would be implementing the Anchor Borrower Programme in the North-east after studying the challenges facing farmers in the zone which include, lack of access to quality inputs, lack of access to finance and market.

According to him, “Gombe state has actively participated in this programme and I am happy to announce to you that out of nine billion naira the Central Bank has advanced to NECAS, Gombe State took almost half of it.”

He said the challenges of CBN had never been that of advancing loans to farmers but the repayments of these loans stressing that “We are demonstrating to you that the Northeast Commodity Association is worthy of doing business and today you can see we have started receiving produce from our farmers barely three weeks ago. I begin to wonder in the next two months, what will happen. Maybe we can exceed the 40 per cent (40%) that we have promised to pay the first farming circle”.

Director of Development Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. M. A. Olaitan who was represented by Mr. Nzelu Ezekiel, explained that since 2015 when the programme was launched in Kebbi State, over 938, 000 had benefited from the scheme and that this was the first time that an association had gathered people to flag-off repayment of loan.

Expressing delight over the repayment of the loans so far, Mr. Nzelu Ezekiel said, “by the time the season is far gone, we will recover all that is invested, just N8.9 billion, and our target is to double it or to triple it”.