Minna — Niger State government has concluded arrangements in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank to disburse N1 billion loans to farmers this year's farming season in the state, the Managing Director (MD) of Niger State Agricultural and Mechanization Development Authority (NAMDA), Baba Kutigi Madugu has disclosed.

The MD who assumed office recently made the disclosure yesterday in Minna, saying the loan will be disbursed under commercial agricultural credit scheme.

He said the scheme started two years ago and over N600 million has been disbursed to 767 farmers cooperative groups in the state.

He stated that only 32,000 out of 145,000 farmers who registered last year under the federal government Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) were able to get fertilizer, noting that out of the targeted population of 250,000 farmers expected to be registered under the scheme last year, only 145,000 farmers registered.