Amaechi Wants Rivers Farmers To Access FG Loans

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has raised concern over the inability of farmers in the state to access federal government loans designed to enhance their capacity to produce more food for the populace.

Governor Amaechi statedthis Saturday  at  the 2010 World Food Day with the theme,“United Against Hunger” organised by the State Ministry of  Agriculture in Port Harcourt.

Represented by his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, the Governor said the Federal Government would be providing the needed incentive for farmers to address food scarcity in the country, urging the farmers in the state to make efforts at accessing such loans.

He called on  Rivers people and urged the Ministry of Agriculture to involve more farmers  in its programmes. He said the synergy between the government and the farmers will go a long way in making food available to the teeming population of Rivers indigenes.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chinda, said the World Food Day is a day set aside by “the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to enhance global consciousness toward actualizing the world’s struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty”.

. On the theme for this year’s celebration, “United Against Hunger,” he said it is aimed at

bolstering efforts at fighting and containing the hunger menace at national, regional and international levels.

Mr. Chinda noted that the “Chibuike Amaechi-Ied administration has given new impetus to agricultural development in the State,” disclosing that, “farmers and fisher folks are now receiving inputs and implements more regularly from government and accessing micro-credits from micro-credit banks.”

According to him, the State ministry of agriculture has completed the sitting of 16 oil processing mills across the state, pointing out that the project will encourage farmers to develop oil palm estates and impact positively on the benefiting communities through the engagement of youths in the various production processes.

He assured that a N1 billion credit under the Federal Government Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme through Zenith Bank will soon be available for farmers to access as the state government is in the final stages of concluding arrangements in that direction, adding that efforts are also being made to identify genuine Cooperative Farmers’ Associations in the State.