The Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Zacheus Atte, said 3,000 validated peasant farmers in the state are to get N100,000 loan each in its first phase of agriculture loan disbursement .
Atte stated this at a news briefing in his office in Lokoja on Friday.
The commissioner said the target beneficiaries for the loan were in the realms of 100,000 farmers.
The commissioner said he had collated 83,000 validated farmers’ names and that the disbursement to 3,000 farmers would commence after the bank must have done its own quality validation on the names.
Atte said instead of the initial 2,935 farmers that were to benefit from the 30 million agriculture loan, 100,000 real peasant farmers will be granted N100, 000 loan each to boost agriculture in the state.
He said the disbursement is going to be in phases , adding that once the first phase of the beneficiaries have received their fund, processing for the next phase will commence immediately.
The commissioner commended Gov. Idris Wada for his determination to do the needful for the state’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
Atte said he had visited the local government areas in the state to make sure that only real peasant farmers are shortlisted.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Mohammed Yusuf, said the ministry was determined to ensure success of the loan scheme.
He said it was for that reason the ministry had been meticulous in its procedure for disbursement.
(NAN)
