Abia Farmers Lament Non-disbursement Of Agric Fund

The Abia Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has expressed concern over the non-disbursement of the N1 billion agriculture loan.

Our correspondent reports that under the N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Fund provided by the Federal Government, each of the 36 states and the FCT was to access N1 billion.

In an interview with newsmen in Umuahia on Wednesday, the AFAN Chairman, Chief Dunlop Okoro, recalled that Gov. Theodore Orji had assured farmers during a workshop at the Umuahia Township Stadium, that the disbursement of the loan would commence last December.

Okoro said that the farmers had become apprehensive as the government had not contacted the organisation one month after the governor’s promise.

He noted that potential beneficiaries had been asked to register with N1,200 and obtain an identity card from the state Ministry of Agriculture.

He urged the government to facilitate the process, adding that the money would assist farmers to procure farm inputs for the 2012 farming season.

Meanwhile, an authoritative source at Abia Ministry of Agriculture told newsmen on condition of anonymity that the state government had yet to access the money.

“We are working in collaboration with Fidelity Bank and we will surely disburse the loan this year,” the source said.