Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari over the recent reappointment of Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emiefele for another 5-year term in office.
The President, RIFAN Alhaji Aminu Goronyo while addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja, expressed optimism that the reappointment of the CBN Governor would also ensure that all agriculture commodities associations benefit from the programme in his second tenure.
Recall that President Buhari on 10th May 2019 re-appointed Emiefele for another 5-year term in office, subsequently, the Senate on May 16 confirmed his re-appointment.
Goronyo said his re-appointment would ensure the sustainability of the success recorded since the inception of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).
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His words: “It is a known fact that in the first tenure of this government, agriculture sector as a whole became like Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), because of the current administration’s attention given to agriculture sector particularly rice.
“We know that from 2015 till date, there was no importation of foreign rice into the country, and local production is boosted.
“Before 2015, our total annual production was between 2.5 million metric tonnes to a maximum of 3.5 million, but today, we are providing eight million metric tonnes per anum.
“The government has done everyone a favour by re-appointing the CBN governor for another term, it is now left for we the commodity association to see and decide, plan and strategies on how best we can also give on support to the country”.
Goronyo further stated that before the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers scheme, a total of 368 million tons of rice was imported into the country, thereby depriving local rice farmers of the benefits of rice production.
“Kebbi State alone produces two million metrics of rice, this government has given attention to agriculture which eventually generated a lot of employment and the economy of those farmers are boosted, money that was used to take to Thailand, China, India to purchase foreign rice which amounted to 368 million metric tons per annum is no more”.
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