The Kogi State Government has reiterated its commitment to partnering farmers across the state to achieve food sufficiency.


This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Tim Dichie, in Lokoja.

He said that the administration of Gov. Yahaya Bello was fully ready to give necessary support to all farmers in the 21 local government areas of the state to facilitate massive food production.

The commissioner, therefore, urged all farmers in the state to come forward and register with the Ministry of Agriculture to have their names in the state’s database. He explained that the database would give equal opportunity to every registered farmer to easily access other government’s programmes for farmers.

“Agriculture is the life wire for development of any state or nation. We must be able to feed ourselves conveniently and also feed other states. Kogi is going to be a pace setter in agriculture for massive food production, revenue generation, job creation and empowerment for all categories of people in the state.

“We will ensure that all the past challenges facing farmers in the state are adequately addressed to ease access to funds and farm inputs,” he stated.

In a related development, No fewer than 5, 000 registered rice farmers in Kogi will benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) anchored borrower programme.

The state’s Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mrs Rabi Emaiku, made this known in a town hall meeting of Rice Value Chain Farmers and stakeholders on Friday in Lokoja.

Emaiku said that over 5,000 farmers in the state had registered and completed the necessary documentations required by the CBN to qualify them to access the rice fund.

Emaiku urged stakeholders involved in rice production to harmonise ways to boost and ensure adequate rice production in the state adding that farmers should make good use of the opportunity provided them by the Federal Government through the CBN to boost production.