The Kwara State government has set aside over N400 million agriculture loan for immediate access by farmers in the state.

State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, disclosed this at the weekend during an interactive session with farmers in the state under the auspices of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kwara State chapter in Ilorin, the state capital.

Governor Ahmed, who said only farmers who belong to recognised and functional cooperative societies in the state and meet all conditions would benefit, said the new measures were designed to situate agricultural practice within the concept of value chain programme as government would not only create access to fund for the farmers but also provide them with reliable buyers for their farm produce.

The governor assured farmers that non-farmers would not benefit from the loan scheme, adding that Kwara State was 'interested in doing business with those interested in agriculture business.'

Governor Ahmed ascribed the state government's commitment to the transformation of the agricultural sector through a value chain to the realisation that subsistence farming on its own cannot propel agricultural revolution.