“We’ll Give Soft Loan to Youth Venturing into Farming”, says Agric Commissioner Diche
Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Doctor Tim Diche gave the assurance while addressing newsmen in Lokoja.
Diche said the Federal Government has inaugurated an agric loan scheme tagged ‘Anchor Borrower’ which is aimed at assisting the youths that are willing to venture into farming as well as farmers who have been operating at the subsistence level.
Chief Diche explained that the loan facility has a single digit interest rate and assured that individuals willing to go into agric business is eligible to access it.
He urged the people of the Stste to approach the ministry for further details stressing that the plans put in place will salvage the youths from the sackless of unemployment.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Finance Ashiwaju Ashiru Idris further explained that Kogi State which has comparative advantage in both rice and cassava has a lot to benefit from the scheme wAgriculture targeted towards empowering twenty thousand youths from each of the senatorial district of the state.
He maintained that the state will also access additional two billion loan facility under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Commissioner said part of the fund will be used for both labour and infrastructural development in cluster farming areas of the state.
He emphasised that the program is in line with the new direction policy of the present administration and IG determination to diversify the economy adding that poverty and youth restiveness will be addressed through the initiative.
Speaking on the payment of staff salary, the commissioner disclosed that the three months salary arrears will be paid to workers between now and next week.
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