Farmers Owe Govt N5.5bn

Farmers in Zamfara who benefitted from fertiliser/agriculture inputs loan are owing the government N5.5 billiion, says Sen. Saidu Dansadau, the Chairman, Debt Verification Committee.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the loan was disbursed by the Zamfara Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme (ZACAREP).

Dansadau disclosed this on Tuesday in Gusau while presenting the committee’s report to Gov. Abdulaziz Yari.

He accused the beneficiaries of abusing the opportunity offered them by ZACAREP to buy fertilisers and other inputs at subsidised rates and pay back after harvest.

“It is unfortunate that while the government introduced the programme to encourage massive agricultural production in the state, both the subsidy and loans payable after harvest were abused.

“As at the moment, our findings revealed that the target farmers, through their emirate councils, who stood as guarantors for the loans, owe Zamfara State Government as much as N5.5 billion from unpaid fertiliser loans.“

According to him, said some privileged farmers had over the years, cornered subsidised fertilisers/loan for inputs at the expense of small and medium-scale farmers who produced the greater percentage of food crops consumed by the people.

He urged the government to review the activities of ZACAREP by taking into consideration the needs of peasant farmers.

The committee chairman noted that small and medium-scale farmers had prominent roles to play to realise the government’s food security and poverty eradication agenda.

Responding, Yari commended the committee for doing a thorough job and pledged to implement its recommendations.