Leadership (Abuja)
17 July 2008
Abuja — The Nigerian Agricultural, Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NARCB), says it has disbursed more than N30.3 billion as loans in the last eight years.
Its Managing Director, Alhaji Babale Umar, disclosed this on Tuesday in Jalingo, at a one-day workshop organised by the bank on cassava processing and utilisation.
He said the beneficiaries were in the agricultural and rural development sectors of the economy.
According to Umar, the funds were channelled through cooperatives, self-help groups and community-based organisations.
He said the workshop was organised, to provide participants with information on the vast opportunities available in cassava processing and utilisation.
The Managing Director, represented by Mrs Rosemary Iware, re-stated the commitment of the bank to agricultural financing at micro, small and medium levels.
He called on the participants, made up of, representatives of youth organisations, NGOs, cooperative societies and cassava farmers to take full advantage of available opportunities.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Godwin Nyame, said the state government was encouraging cassava and cocoa farmers to embrace mechanised farming.
Nyame said, the state government had entered into an agreement with a Dutch company, DADTCO, for the production of cassava chips and flour.
He expressed the hope that the cooperation would create employment opportunities for the people.
The commissioner said the state government would accord priority to agriculture because of its importance to the state's economy.(NAN)
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