Benue State says it is supporting farmers with low-interest loans, agricultural inputs and initiatives to promote agro-processing and industrial expansion.
These are part of efforts to increase crop yields, attract investment and strengthen the state’s food production capacity.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development and Community Mobilisation, Mathias Agbo Omikpa, disclosed this in an interview with Voice of Nigeria in Abuja, saying the government was also working to expand markets for farmers and encourage value addition to agricultural produce.
Omikpa said the state had a microfinance bank that provides farmers with single-digit interest loans to support their farming activities and improve productivity.
“There are other farm inputs that the Governor also makes available. We have a Microfinance Bank in Benue State that gives at one-digit loan to farmers, and we try to meet their needs in terms of finances that could help them increase their farm yields and crop yields,” he said.
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He explained that the government’s agricultural development strategy included strengthening the production of crops such as soybeans and ginger, while creating opportunities for farmers to access wider markets.
Potentials
According to him, discussions and agreements involving international partners have explored opportunities for Benue to supply agricultural commodities, including soybeans, while the Federal Government is also supporting efforts to improve production.
Omikpa described Benue ginger as one of the state’s important agricultural products, adding that the government was providing support to boost its cultivation.
“If you are aware, Benue ginger is acclaimed to be one of the best. It’s acclaimed to be one of the best, the type of ginger that is grown in Benue. There are massive inputs going into that,” he said.
The Special Adviser said the state was also exploring agro-industrial development through facilities such as flour mills and yam-processing plants to transform agricultural produce into finished and semi-finished products.
He said such investments would help farmers secure better markets and prices for their produce while creating additional economic opportunities across agricultural value chains.
“The input is to industrialise. That will help not just to ensure there is a market for the farmers to sell at the right price, but also to add value, so that farmers would benefit and the value chains will not just be to export raw produce from Benue State,” Omikpa said.
Initiatives
He added that the government’s broader objective was to make agriculture more attractive, encourage continued participation in farming and increase food production.
The initiatives are expected to support Benue’s agricultural economy by linking farm financing and production with processing, marketing and value addition.
Omikpa said the government remained committed to exploring innovative approaches to agricultural development and strengthening Benue’s contribution to Nigeria’s food supply.
