The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has empowered 475 female cassava farmers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to cater to this year’s wet season farming.

The 475 female farmers were trained on ‘Good Agronomic Practices’ and were given farm inputs for their use.

In accordance with its Agro Geo-Cooperatives model, numbering about 452, NIRSAL grouped the women into one tagged the Uyo Women Agro Geo-Cooperative.

To further increase yields, the women will cultivate part of the designated 478 hectares of land with mechanised equipment.

They will also receive financial inputs courtesy of the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) – a development facilitated by NIRSAL as a participating financial institution.

NIRSAL flagged off the distribution of the inputs at a ceremony held at Anang People Primary School, Obio Ndot, Oruk Anam LGA of Akwa Ibom State.

Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulhameed, who was represented by the Head of NIRSAL Plc’s Akwa Ibom State Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Office, Helen Akula, said the agency’s intervention will assist families in the state, in its course of achieving food security.

According to Akula, this intervention will help achieve NIRSAL’s aim of forging partnerships between agriculture and finance.

“The input you received today is not a grant but a loan that must be paid back for other farmers to also benefit from.

“I have faith in you all that together as a team every kobo will be repaid with ample profit left in the bank for you to enjoy the fruits of your labour,” she explained.

On her part, the President of the Uyo Women AGC, Theresa Thompson Akpan described the CBN’s support through NIRSAL as a huge turnaround for cassava production in the state.

She appreciated NIRSAL for its timely intervention while urging the women to embrace mechanised farming, as suggested by the agency.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA