Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), has advised the beneficiaries of 2019 dry season farming input of Anchor Borrowers Programme to make judicious use of the inputs.
Malam Baba Muhammad, RIFAN Chairman of Gombe Local Government Area chapter, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe State on Wednesday, said that the inputs were not for sale.
He said that the distribution of the inputs by the Federal Government was to assist the farmers to boost their activities and improve on the economy.
According to him, if the inputs are judiciously used by the farmers, they will get more profit and improve the rice production in the country.
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He said that the association was given four bags of fertiliser, 30kg of improve variety of seed, water pump, organic fertiliser and insecticide for a hectare of land and each farmer was collecting based on the size of his farm land.
Muhammad said that no fewer than 6,000 farmers in the area were to benefit from the gesture, adding that “it is not free, they must fulfill the promise of paying the loan back on time to enable others benefit.’’
According to him, the method for the repayment is by installments of 40, 30 and 30 per cent with 22 bags of rice within one and half year.
“Whoever that collects with good intentions, God will provide for means of repayment and also benefit from the next disbursements.
“Mr. President had done well for us to enable us produce more rice for more profits so that we will not suffer by importing it from outside,” he said.
NAN reports that the distribution of the farming input for the 2018/2019 dry season is ongoing. (NAN)