No fewer than
17,000 farmers have benefited from the loan scheme of the Osun Quick Impact
Intervention Programme (QUIIP) as part of the comprehensive programme of
the
Rauf Aregbesola administration to boost agriculture.
A set of 77
farmers’ cooperative groups benefited under the QUIIP I while another set of
419 farmers’ cooperative groups benefited from both QUIIP II programmes. Some
of the cooperative groups have as much as over 200 farmers as members.
While the sum
of N164, 882. 920 million was disbursed to farmers under QUIIP I programme,
N686, 786, 612 million was distributed under the QUIIP II, coming to a total of
N851, 669, 532 million.
A statement by
the Bureau of Communication and Strategy signed by its Director, SemiuOkanlawon,
quoted the Coordinator of QUIIP, Mr. Dele Ogundipeto have given the breakdown
on Tuesday when farmers under the QUIIP programme gathered at the Nelson
Mandela Freedom Park Osogbo to express appreciation to the government for its
massive support for food production and general agric business in the state.
This was just
as other heads of agencies told the huge gathering the extensive support
programme of the Aregbesola administration since inception.
The Osun State
Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEC) gave out N250million loan to
farmers in 2010 and N500million in 2012.
Also, as part
of the massive provision of infrastructure to aid farming, the Rural
Accessibility Mobility Programme (RAMP), constructed for the state 662km rural
roads for easy access to farm settlements.
In addition,
out of 300km World Bank-assisted programmes, 225km roads had been completed
through N12bn World Bank assisted loan where Osun paid a counterpart fund of
N2bn.
The breakdown
was made by the Project Manager of the RAMP, Lere Oriolowo.
However,
Aregbesola called on all farmers who had benefitted from the agriculture loans
to repay the initial capital so that the money could circulate among other
farmers in the state.
The governor
expressed concern that only a paltry sum of N364, 693. 21 had been repaid out
of N1. 421bn government lent the farmers.
On
micro-credit scheme, the governor stated that the government also made soft
loan available for the development of small and medium scale businesses in the
state.
He said that
the loan was targeted at micro-enterprises such as traders, artisans, market
men and women and entrepreneurs.
The General
Manager of the Osun Micro-Credit Loans Agency, Dayo Babaranti, had earlier
announced that almost 25,000 beneficiaries had benefited from the facilities
from the agency.
According to
the Governor, the state borrowed N2bn from the CBN and deposited it with the
Osun State micro finance Bank for the people to assess at free interest.
Aregbesola
said that the government undertook to pay the interest rate pegged at 9 percent
by the CBN, which totalled N186 million.
He averred
that the interest people were supposed to pay on the principal borrowing was
thus taken up by the government so as to make it easy for the borrowers.
Aregbesola
said that against the backdrop of the current economic crisis, the whole country
is neck-deep in crisis which only massive agriculture can remedy.
The governor
therefore made passionate appeal to farmers across the state to stand up and
redouble their efforts towards massive engagements in different forms of
agricultural practices from poultry to cash and food crops.
Governor
Aregbesola noted that the only panacea to the current economic imbroglio is for
every serious minded government to rise to the occasion and look for
alternative means by exploring the abundant potential in agriculture.
Aregbesola
said: “At this critical juncture and judging from the economic crisis of the
present, our state has no alternative than to diversify and stop relying on
what comes from Abuja, if we must survive.
“Therefore,
our dream is to turn the state into a modern, industrial and commercial
agricultural state.”
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