Keystone Bank partners Niger on rice production

The Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture Prof. Kuta
Yahaya has commended Keystone Bank Limited for its
unwavering support to the development of agriculture in the
state.
Keystone Bank is granting the facility under Agricultural
Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, (ACGSF), in which there is a
75 per cent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guarantee.
The initiative is also in partnership with RHA consortium
and the Niger State Rice Investment consortium, the
organiser of the loan disbursement. Speaking during the
commencement of the disbursement of N77.7 million loans
to 37 rice producing cooperative societies in the state,
Yahaya commended Keystone Bank for supporting
agriculture in the state.
He noted that "the private sector initiative and expertise that
Keystone Bank brings to the table ensures that giving
facilities to farmers is one of the ways government could
consolidate on rice production and food security."
In his address, the Managing Partner of the Rice
Consortium, Mr. Godfrey Ajayi said the project was
designed to cover a total of 100,000 hectares of farmland as
well as to capture 50,000 farmers with 30,000 hectare
targeted for this year.
Speaking further, Yahaya said the state government,
through the ministry of Agriculture, had given 25 units of
tractors and power generators to be distributed to centres
across the state for the original goal in rice production to be
achieved.