As part of its continues efforts in empowering farmers to access agric loan credit facilities to boost agricultural production, Oyo State Government has declared abolishment of Civil Servants guarantorship requirement for farmers seeking loans from the State Agricultural Credit Corporation.
The Chairman, Agricultural Credit Corporation of the State, Sheik Taofik Akeugbagold, made this known today in a stakeholders meeting with the Farmers representative at the Board Room of the Corporation.
The Board Chairman hinted that having observed that majority of farmers were not able to access the #1b agric loan under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) due to bureaucratic bottleneck of provision of civil servants working with State Government as guarantor hence Governor Makinde to direct abolishment of the bottleneck for the farmers to have access to the loan, saying that this would enhance productivity of farm product and by extension enhance food security in the state and the country at large.
He explained that by this farmers will stand in for farmers as guarantor in the same group adding that the present government in the state under the leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde recognized effort of farmers in the economy development for there is no nation without food.
Akeugbgold noted that farmers do not have to be looking for civil servant guarantors any longer, adding that farmers can now stand or guarantee each other to accessing the Corporation’s Credit Scheme.
According to him,this credit scheme is opened not only to the representatives of the farmers group here seated, but it shall cut across all over farmers groups resident in the state as well as genuine farmers that do not belong to any association.
The Board Chairman, however stated that farmers groups should not put unnecessary pressure on interested farmers by way of levies on their members in disguise of securing credit facility from the Corporation.
In his welcome adress, the Coordinsting Director Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State, Mr. T. Oladejo explained that the Corporation was established primarily to provide credit support to small holder farmers in the state, who bears the burden of feeding the teeming population, and accounted for about 95% of the aggregate food and fiber production in the state stressing that because of lack of their capacity to access credit from commercial Banks due to stringent conditions led to the Establishment of the Corporation.
According to him, the Corporation has been giving out credits to farmers in the years past and up till date with various methods were being used in securing credit in order to conserve Government fund, such as the use of farming guarantee each other, farmers Executive standing as surety for their members, use of cooperative guarantorship, and the anchor arrangement scheme.
“All this has not help probably because of the method of implementation.
This has led to the use of the civil servant guarantorship system, which has been of tremendous help in ensuring that loan disbursed comes back to the Corporation, either by direct payment by the beneficiaries or through direct deductions from the civil servant salary”
Mr. Oladejo explained that some farmers claimed to be having difficulty in getting a civil servant guarantor for their loan request from the Corporation, led to the directive of the State Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde that the Corporation should embark on the use of farmers Executives, community leaders and market women leaders as guarantors for their members.
He therefore urged beneficiaries of the credit facilities to repay promptly for others to access it, having in mind the loan is not a national cake.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Elder Omikunle Omidokun, Vice Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Muniru Oladayo and the representative of Cassava Grower Association of Nigeria, Oyo State, Mr. Okulowo Kayode commended governor Makinde for prioritising farmers yaning in a bid to enhance food security, stressing that the move would enable farmers accessing the credit facilities, and however appealed to government to consider as upmost priority security and Rural Roads rehabilitation to reduce post harvest lost.
Oyo State ICT
October 21, 2024
