Rice farmers re-count losses, ask CBN for loan relief

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Rice farmers have appealed to the Government to write off the loans given to them because of the flood that wiped away 70% of their produce for the year 2018 while another one be given for 2019 planting season. The request was made by the National Deputy Secretary, Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Alhaji IIiyasu Awodi at the 4^th Nigerian Rice Forum held in Abuja, recently.

While relating the farmers’ ordeal he said it was sad to say the impact of climate change through flood ravage had made farmers to record a very huge loss of 70% to wet season planting as he expressed that loan repayment would be difficult for farmers.

Alhaji Awodi said it was a regrettable situation that despite FG’s financial effort and support to boost rice production that the association’s members could still fall victims of flood ravage with a great loss.

 He lamented that it was sad after attaining eight million metric tons through hard work and in the expectation to meet up with the 15 million target set for the 2018 rice production that the nation had the set with about 365,000 farmers of the CBN anchor borrower’s programme being affected.

An expert who did not want his name mentioned said this farmers’ excuse was one the reasons why government support to small scale holders had never given a very serious dividend asking, “how can a loan be given without proper insurance and even collateral that would ensure repayment?”

The source pointed out that farmers must be demanding for so much if all they could ask for is a  relief and  another free loan of which they have not told us measures they have put in place to forestall reoccurrence of default in case of an unseen disaster like herdsmen attack.