Mainstreet Bank, the leading financial institution in the federal government growth enhancement support (GES) scheme has pledged to support farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in agricultural business at the on-going 35th Kaduna International Trade Fair.
Speaking at the bank’s stand at the fair, head, agricultural desk of Mainstreet Bank, Mr. Kabir Usman, commended the organisers of the fair for focusing on the theme, ‘Agricultural Transformation for Industrial Development: Public Private Partnership (PPP) Approach’.
“Through PPP, skills and resources of each sector (public and private) are shared to assist agro allied industries develop to their full potentials.
This clearly reveals the important role the private sector is expected to play in ensuring the development/industrialization of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.” Mr. Usman added.
Usman noted that Mainstreet Bank has over the years been a proud partner of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA); organisers of the International Trade Fair.
Mainstreet Bank through its commitment to the federal government Agricultural Transformation Agenda and the GES initiative has successfully mobilised fertilizer agro-dealers, farmers, suppliers and seed companies to create an effective distribution mechanism that eliminates middlemen and the attendant corruption which existed in the input distribution chain.
Following the recent flag-off of the 2013/2014 dry season support programme, by President Goodluck Jonathan, the bank has committed to growing its lending portfolio from N10 billion in 2013 to 20 billion in 2014.
He informed further that Mainstreet Bank is supporting the establishment of 80 agricultural equipment-hiring centers across the country. Each of the centres would be equipped with five units of tractors, five units of power tillers, and various harvest and post-harvest equipment.
