NECAS Distributes 120 Motorcycles, 13 Vehicles To Extension Officers In Adamawa, Taraba
By Yakubu Uba Yola
The North East Commodity Association (NECAS) has distributed 120 motor-cycles and 13 utility vehicles to Extension workers to mobilise beneficiaries of Achor Borrowers Programme of CBN in Adamawa and Taraba sates.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony in Yola, NECAS National Chairman, Alhaji Sadiq Umar Daware said the extension workers would not only serve as trainers of farmers on best practices to boost their yields but also as loan recovery officials as timely recovery of loans from farmers was one major way of sustaining the anchor borrowers programme.
Daware said North East was lagging behind in utilising the opportunities provided by ABP programme as so far only about 55,000 farmers had been mobilised to benefit from the N9.4 billion provided by CBN for the programme in the zone.
Daware said the presentation of motorcycles and vehicles to the extension officers would ensure adequately mobilisation of farmers loan recovery, which were part of the components for the successful implementation of the programme.
In his speech, a board member of NECAS, Mr Steven Maduwa, urged extension workers provided with the motor-cycles to take the loan recovery exercise seriously, adding that anyone that excelled by recovering about 80% of the loan from his area of coverage, would be given the motor-cycle as reward.
Maduwa also urged farmers to be committed in repaying their loans for bigger and better opportunities to boosting their farming businesses.
Also speaking, the representative of CBN, Mr Sa’ad Hamid who said the anchor borrowers programme was part of efforts to support diversification of the economy and addressed poverty in the society, urged farmers to make maximum use of the opportunity with a view to eradicating poverty.
“The surest way out of poverty is agriculture. This logistic support for extension officers to boost agriculture is a welcome development as extension workers are indispensable for the success of this programme,” Hamid said.
Adding that any farmer who repaid his loan in good time was assured of more opportunity from the CBN.
In his remarks, Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of Adamawa, lauded the effort by NECAS to mobilise farmers to benefit from government agricultural programmes and assured maximum support from Adamawa government.
Bindow said that his administration had also keyed into federal government programmes to boost agriculture, which he said had been making positive impact on the lives of many small scale farmers in the state.
“We have to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for introducing those laudable programmes in agriculture that have continue to address poverty at the rural areas.
“My administration has also keyed in and no past administration in the state had done what we did in areas of purchasing tractors, fertilizer and other inputs for practicing farmers in the state,” Bindow said.