The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday led 18,000 farmers in the sate to launch the first rice pyramid in Northern Nigeria in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Dignitaries and government functionaries from every nook and cranny of Nigeria were at the occasion to witness the achievement that admits no comparison in the history of agriculture in Borno State and Northern Nigeria at large.
Shettima, while unveiling the historic rice pyramid, said the programme was a laudable tool that the Borno State Government had invested heavily in for youths and women to provide food for the people and even export.
The rice pyramid organized was put together by Wal Wanne and Sons Limited and financed by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the coordination and supervision of the PFI and BOA.
The ceremony was held at Ramat Square, Maiduguri.
While thanking sponsors such as CBN, BOA, FMOA, PFI and Wal Wanne and Sons Limited, Shettima said there will be no amount of mischief or criticism from enemies of his government that will stop his from supporting farmers in the state to produce rice and feed the people.
He warned mischief makers to distance themselves from his government’s activities and stop political mischief by way of condemning rice production in the state.
He said: “Instead of appreciating the efforts of government in providing and encouraging farmers by way of supporting and assisting the farmers to produce more food to feed the people and even export outside the country, some people are busy castigating the government and participating partners because of political differences.”
Shettima paid glowing tributes to President Muhammad Buhari and the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their sacrifices and tireless efforts in the restoration of peace to Borno State and the North East, without which the Anchor Borrowers Scheme would not have been possible.
The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, FMOA, Dr. B. Bukar said the Federal Government has so far committed over N53 billion to boost rice farming program in the country.
Ogbeh commended Borno State farmers for producing such large quantity of rice despite security challenges, while adding that the Anchor Borrowers programme has really boosted the hope of farmers generally and expressed hope that more farmers will soon join the programme.
He said the Federal Government has started mechanized farming across the country towards stopping the importation of rice completely.
The Managing Director of Wal Wanne and Sons Limited, Alhaji Abiso Kabir, thanked President Buhari for supporting the programme and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for financing it as well as Governor Shettima for his support.
Kabir said the programme was successful and created billions of naira, jobs and wealth for the people and governments as well as food production.
The MD appealed to youths to embrace the programme for the purpose of food security, job creation and wealth, while assuring that the number of beneficiaries will increase next year from 18,000 to 100,000 or 200,000 with the involvement of the state government as the governor pledged.
The Anchor Borrowers Programme is a CBN/FG programme aimed at scaling up the local production of rice so as to reduce the huge cost of foreign exchange spent on the importation of the commodity.
Wal Wanne and Sons Limited is the Anchor/Off-taker inter-product link introduced into the scheme by the Borno State Government.
It registered up to 18,000 farmers for the scheme.
The farmers cut across the various LGs in Borno State where farming activities took place during last year’s wet season upon the timely receipt of their farm inputs in areas like Jere, Konduga, Mafa, Biu, Hawul, Shani and Chiboke.
Though fully a CBN/FG programme, the concept is such that the Off-taker will buy up all the produce at a Guarantee Market Price and deduct the cost per hectare from the total amount and any excess money after the deduction is considered as profit to the farmer.
Borno state has today emerged among other states like Jigawa, Kebbi, Ogun, Ebonyi and Lagos among others to comply with the CBN funded scheme through the anchor borrowers programme.
