The South South Zonal Vice President,Mega Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Julius Wodah, says the association will train 13, 000 farmers in rice production in Akwa Ibom.
Wodah stated this during an inspection tour of Federal Government-supported rice farms in Ikot Esen, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area on Tuesday.
According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) loan scheme was already yielding positive results.
He said no fewer than 200 experts had already been commissioned to commence the training of farmers in the south-south region.
“We have coordinators in the three senatorial zones of the state, we also have ward officers assisting to mobilise farmers for the exercise.
“We are willing to train more farmers in order to make them more productive, we have acquired land in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States,” he said.
In his remarks, Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, said that the CBN/SIRSAL Agric loan scheme would boost rice production in Akwa Ibom.
Enang said that with the loan scheme, NIRSAL and CBN had proven that rice farming was possible in the south-south region.
