Ebonyi state executive council has approved the payment of N744 million to farmers for the 2018 land preparation Agric programme.
The state commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Nwobo, revealed this while briefing newsmen after the executive council meeting on Thursday, August 2.
He said the money would be paid farmers through e-payment to enable them to reclaim what they had spent on the land preparation in the course of the 2018 Agriculture programme of the state.
He noted that in preparation for the rice that would be used during the festive period which is a few months away, the council also approved the purchase of rice paddy worth N500 million.
He said: “The Exco approved that we are going to, as a matter of urgency, pay farmers for their land preparation. Therefore, Exco approved a total of N744 million to be paid to the farmers through e-payment to enable them recoup what they have expended for the land preparation they have done in the course of this 2018 Agric programme.
“So, within the next few days, farmers are expected to start getting alerts of their money component of the Agric programme. The Exco also approved the purchase of rice paddy worth N500 million.
“That means that we will be buying rice paddy from this month to enable us prepare for the rice that we usually use during the festive season. Also, a total of N46 million was approved to enable us procure more urea to be distributed to rice farmers in the state while N10.5 million is to be used to procure more rice fields to be distributed to farmers”.