Edo disburses N41m loan to farmers

EDO State government, over the weekend, disbursed about N41 million to farmers in 27 communities across the state as part of its efforts to boost food production and empower farmers in the state.The state government said it would in the first quarter of the year support cultivation of 109 hectres of cassava, 25 hectres of rice, 35 hectres of cocoa/plantain intercrop and several other hectres for plantain, pineapple, ware tam, oil plam, pawpaw, seed yam and then the provision of a cassava processing mill at a cost of N78.2 million.The state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was represented by his Deputy, Pius Odubu stated this at the flagging off of 2012 planting season and distribution of cheques and farm input to beneficiaries said the first tranche of the loan would cover land preparationand planting.The governor also said the state government had paid its counterpart funding of N169.06 million for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 for FADAMA III project, adding that Edo State was the only state in the South-South to have met that obligation just as it did under the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP). According to him, Edo State government has paid its counterpart fund of N20 million for the period of June 2010 to March 2012.National Programme Co-ordinator, Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme, Mrs. Irene Jumbo-Ibeakuze at the occassion commended the state government for prompt disbursement of funds to farmers in the state.She called on Oshiomhole to help persuade his colleagues from other Niger Delta states to replicate what his administration has done in that sector.'We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Executive Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on the occasion of the flag off of this year 2012 planting season and disbursement of funds in the initial sum of N41.6m to the CBNRMP-ND facilitated agricultural enterprise groups from 27 beneficiary communities.
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