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Asaba: The Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria Delta State chapter, Dame Elizabeth Agu, has frowned at farmers who were allegedly selling farm inputs loan( feeds)given to them to grow their farms with the aim of providing food security, reducing poverty in the state and country at large.
Speaking at a strategy meeting with members of the CBN state anchor/private farmers and other stakeholders held at the CBN conference hall Asaba, Agu explained that the essence of the meeting was to fashion out positive measures that can proffer solutions and also anguish the progress of the Anchor program in the state while urging farmers to desist as a matter of urgency from any act tending to disrupt the success of the program.
“It is criminal for anyone to side sell farm inputs which are a loan that is expected to be repaid, how do we pay back these loans if farmers continue to sell their inputs. Any farmer that side sells input does not want the progress of Deltans, but only increasing poverty” she said.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Project Monitoring Team Mr Mathew Badaiki disclosed that the farmers were allegedly side selling the feeds in Ughelli and Warri for five thousand Naira, camp 74 Anwai for four thousand Naira, therefore new strategy would be applied and that all the cooperative leaders under anchor must provide an irrevocable post headed cheques and that farmers must confirm received inputs by signing before payments can be processed
Also the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources Mr Austin Chikezie urged Deltans to act differently, describing the act as criminally and that anyone caught would be made to face the law and if convicted would be liable to face a five years jail terms adding that the state government has issued an order of arrest on any farmer who side sells farm inputs.
He further advised the input suppliers to do proper verifications and ensure they have the capacity to do supply maintaining that the CBN Anchor has a guideline that guides the program and cannot be deviated from except if reviewed.
