The Federal Government says it is set to provide 32,500 units of tractors with implements and assorted machinery for the next five years to drive agricultural development and food security.
Temitope Fashedemi, permanent secretary, federal ministry of agriculture and food security, announced this in his address at a stakeholders’ workshop on the review of the draft national agricultural mechanisation policy document which began in Abuja on Wednesday.
Fashedemi said: “I want to use this opportunity to thank President Bola Tinubu, for the Renewed Hope Agenda which seeks to reinvigorate mechanisation deployment through the engagement of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as John Deere/Tata, Belarus tractor, Greener Hope Initiative Programme and Green Imperative Programme (GIP) to provide 32,500 Units of tractors with implements, and other assorted machinery for the next five years.”
He noted that this would provide the fulcrum and stimulate the youth and women into agricultural production in Nigeria.
He said that the ministry was planning to train 819 tractor operators and mechanics at the Agricultural Mechanics and Machinery Operators Training Centre (AMMOTRAC) in Akure and Misau, respectively.
Read also: FG determined to revamp agriculture with inputs, equipment -Minister
“The proposed training is designed to equip participants (youths and women) with broad knowledge and practical skills in handling agricultural machinery. It will also deepen their knowledge and provide strong ground in agricultural mechanisation technology with excellent practical experience.”
The permanent secretary added that “Agricultural reports reveal that Nigeria had over 30,000 functional agricultural machinery but over the years, the reverse has become the case.”
He further stated that currently, Nigeria has less than 5,000 functional tractors across the nation, grossly inadequate to cultivate the land for the growing population.
He said that mechanisation in Nigeria was characterised by low and crude level practice which includes the application of incongruous techniques and technologies, that lead to a decrease in production output per cultivable area, low yield of produce and low application/deployment of agricultural mechanisation technologies.
“In general, agricultural mechanisation provides technological inputs and tasks that create, improve, increase and expand productivity through efficient, cost-effective and sustainable strategies”.
“The significance of the national policy in agricultural mechanisation is to attain food security, livelihood security, strong export – push and import substitution components; it should also have quick and extensive mechanised farming, agro-industry development, high-technological base and technological research back up ensuring that adequate and appropriate technology is available for our farmers and prevent dumping of obsolete equipment in the country,” he said.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
