The Ogun State Government in Nigeria’s south-west says it is reinvigorating the state’s commercial agricultural credit scheme to provide revolving loans to farmers in the state to boost their farming activities.
Cassava, rice and palm farmers and those in production and the crops value chains are some of those targeted by the state to benefit from the programme.
The State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun, gave a hint about the planned loan at a one day sensitisation programme for farmers on agricultural development projects in Abeokuta, the capital of the state.
She promised the farmers a better day through favourable deliberate policies and programmes in the agricultural sector.
The Commissioner, however, asked farmers to pay up their loans so that others could benefit from the revolving loan.
Several small scale farmers, cooperative societies, and agricultural groups attended the programme where issues bothering on the development of the sector were discussed.
Cattle rustling, mechanised farming, the re-invigoration of the extension services and agro services topped talks.
Mrs Sokefun explained that some of the current initiatives of the government were aimed at improving the sector and boosting productivity.
The resolutions arrived at during the sensitisation programme are expected to form a fulcrum for the improvement of agricultural practice in the state, as the state finds means of diversifying its economic base.