Edo State Govern
ment says it has empowered 400 fish farmers in the state with free juveniles.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture Mr Abdul Oroh, told newsmen in Benin recently that 500 juveniles were given to each farmer in addition to six bags of feeds.
Oroh explained that the juveniles were free but that the feeds were given at a subsidised price.
He recalled that 60 groups of 300 artisanal fishermen benefited from the free inputs distribution in 2013, adding that boats, kiln, nets and engine boats were distributed by the state government.
The commissioner said the fish farmers also benefited from a N20 million loan, facilitated by the state government with the agricultural bank at eight per cent interest rate.
He, however, complained that the loan, meant to be revolving, had suffered a slight set back in repayment.
According to him, only 55 per cent of the loans have been recovered.
“As soon as 85 per cent of the loans are recovered, the next batch of beneficiaries will collect,’’ the commissioner said.
He explained that the government was assisting the farmers with both the equipment and the funds to improve their production capacity and generate more income.
The commissioner said that since inception of the present administration in the state, more than 245,000 registered farmers had benefited from the government enhanced scheme.
According to him, the scheme covers poultry, cassava, rice, cocoa, maize and oil palm.
He added that farmers in the state had benefited from 50 per cent subsidy on fertilizers while 720 farmers’ cooperative unions benefited from a N1 billion loan in 2011.
“The loans have a three-year moratorium as beneficiaries should start to repay from 2015,’’ he said.