Farmers in Kwara State have appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to prevail on Union Bank of Nigeria to release the agreed funds for the commencement of the commercial farming schemes under Commercial Agric Credit Scheme (CACS) as agreed with the state government.

In a statement released in Ilorin following a meeting with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, the leader of farmers involved in the state's Offtaker Demand Driven Scheme, Mr. Adesina Olatunji,  said it had become clear that Union Bank was responsible for their plight.  

He said the bank's refusal to release the CACS credit had severely affected their livelihoods as they have borrowed money from alternative sources in anticipation of the credit facility.

The farmers therefore called on the CBN to urgently direct Union Bank of Nigeria to disburse the funds to enable them purchase critical inputs for their farming and to repay their loans.

Adesina disassociated the state governor, Ahmed of any blame for the delay in the release of the money and commended the state government for its determination to extend commercial farming across state through the 10 Farmers Per Local Government Model.

Furthermore, the farmers thanked Ahmed for understanding their plight and expressed hope that the CBN's intervention will bear fruit soon.

Adesina said the group's 173 members have formed cooperatives along crop lines in the Kwara Agricultural Modernisation Masterplan (KAMP), adding their inability to access the credit facility was responsible for the stagnation in their business.

The group therefore appealed to the apex bank to direct Union Bank of Nigeria to release the funds in order to end their hardship.