The Kebbi State Government in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will provide support to rice farmers for the production of 500,000 metric tonnes of Paddy Rice in 2015.

Governor Atiku Bagudu made the disclosure when he received a delegation of commercial rice millers and farmers led by the Special Adviser to the CBN Governor on Development Finance, Mr Paul Eluhaiwe, in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Bagudu, who stressed the need to obtain rice quality project certification, said the state government already had in store 9,000 tonnes of rice.

He called on commercial millers to provide seedlings on the variety their firms preferred to enable farmers produce the required quantity.

``Additional farmlands would be prepared to encourage people to engage in rice farming.

``New rice farmland would be cleared and young farmers would be provided with funds and extension services to boost production.

“Strategies would be worked out for transportation of produce to the designated centres,’’ the governor said.

Eluhaiwe also said the bank officials and rice millers would undertake a tour of some rice production centres to assess quality and viability for the firms to process rice in large quantity.

According to him, the CBN will provide rice farmers and processors with loans to boost production, in addition to infrastructure as part of efforts to reduce poverty, unemployment and end importation.

``The rice millers would inspect the moisture content, broken rice and empty cells to determine the quantity to purchase and process from the farmers; and the CBN would also facilitate the successful implementation,’’ he said.

An official of the state rice farmers association, Malam Mohammad Sa'ad commended the state government and CBN for the initiative, which he said would improve rice production as well as boost the economic status of farmers. (NAN)

Photo shows: Gov Atiku Bagudu