Plateau state farmers have been given N10 million by the minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina to help them establish Fadama Micro-finance bank. The scheme is set up to serve Fadama III farmers who will contribute five percent of their savings towards it and in turn get loans with one digit interest to boast their farming business.

The minister who was in Jos on Tuesday, made the donation after assessing agriculture facilities in the state. He applauded the initiative of the farmers made up of 75 percent women and reiterated the continuous support of the Federal Government.

Plateau state farmers have been given N10 million by the minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina to help them establish Fadama Micro-finance bank. The scheme is set up to serve Fadama III farmers who will contribute five percent of their savings towards it and in turn get loans with one digit interest to boast their farming business.

The minister who was in Jos on Tuesday, made the donation after assessing agriculture facilities in the state. He applauded the initiative of the farmers made up of 75 percent women and reiterated the continuous support of the Federal Government.

Adesina said “You have all made savings of about N60 million to be able to get your bank all across the various areas that you are, let me say that from my ministry, we will contribute N10 million. If you look at the repayment rate of loans, 98 percent of women pay back the loan facilities they get and therefore women are actually the people you should be banking in because they pay back. We are going to work actively with you to help in this finance”.

The minister added that 30 percent of agricultural loans should be allocated to women who are now embracing farming. He said that investing in women will give the family a lifeline and therefore called for continuous support to boast their farming activities.

Plateau State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Stephen Barko and the officials of Agricultural Services Training and Centre (ASTC) took the minister round to see facilities at ASTC Kassa/Vom. Barko told the minister that ASTC Kassa was one of the centre set up in collaboration with an Israeli company to enhance agriculture in the state. The commissioner added that ASTCs provided services to farmers ranging from provision of farm inputs and machineries to marketing of farm outputs.

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Plateau farmers get N10m from Agriculture minister