Livestock farmers in Anambra State are in for greater days as they will soon gain access to World Bank’s two hundred million dollar loan to Nigeria.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Exports, Mr Nnamdi Onukwuba made this known while receiving members of the executive of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State Chapter.
The World Bank Loan facility is under the Livestock Production and Resilience Support, L-PRES six year programme.
The loan facility will benefit Cattle farmers, selected to drive the Anambra State Government’s priority for Efi Igbo, Piggery and apiculture otherwise known as bee keeping for its multi-faceted value chain.
The Commissioner also revealed that the State Government is quickening all the processes to ensure that Central Bank of Nigeria’s Commercial Agric Credit Scheme loan worth two billion Naira and Accelerated Agric Development Scheme loan worth one-point-five billion naira is also accessed before December this year.
Mr Onukwuba further revealed that the Anambra State Government is perfecting plans with an investor and off taker in sweet potato to also open up that market to Anambra farmers which is targeted to begin before the rains totally subside.
He explained that all these efforts targets to set Anambra permanently on the agricultural map of Nigeria and the world.
Contributing, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Stephanie Kelly-Uzor beckoned on youths and women to begin to explore opportunities in farming and also called on aging farmers to develop a succession plan by encouraging their children to follow their line of vocation.
The State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Mr Joe Madubuko expressed satisfaction with the State Government’s efforts at helping Anambra Farmers gain more access to funds, describing it as the best of times for Agricultural sector in the State.
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