The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),? has evolved modalities to give loans to cassava farmers in the country through various commercial banks.
Mr. James Olatunji, an official of the ministry, disclosed this at a one day workshop organised in collaboration with Nasarawa State Ministry of Agriculture in Lafia for farmers from the North Central zone of the country.
The focus of the workshop is on how to create wealth from cassava production and processing, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Commenting on the essence of the workshop, Olatunji said that the cassava to ethanol project under the Cassava Value Chain Programme had great potential for wealth creation.
He identified the North Central zone? as the hub of? cassava production in the country.
According to? him,? Nasarawa State was chosen? due to its high cassava production capacity and being surrounded by other cassava producing states.
In a remark, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture, represented by Alhaji Yahaya Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, said that the programme was capable of reducing poverty among rural dwellers.
?He assured the participants of the state government's commitment to the Federal Government Agricultural Transformation Agenda through the provision of improved seedlings, machinery, agro-chemicals and other inputs.
Earlier in an address of welcome, Mr Naphthali Dachor, the Programme Manager, Nasarawa State Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), said the state produced about two million tonnes of cassava annually.
?He solicited the Federal Government's support for increased production and effective utilisation of the crop.
NAN reports that the workshop attracted agricultural experts from all the states in the North Central geopolitical zone of the country.
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