Federal Gov’t To Procure 32,500 Tractors To Boost Agric Mechanisation

The federal government has disclosed a plan to procure 32,500 units of tractors and a range of other agricultural equipment as part of a major push to revamp mechanised farming.

The plan, which will be implemented over the next five years in partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like John Deere, Tata and Belarus Tractor, targeted youth and women involvement in agriculture to drive food security.

Currently, Nigeria’s agricultural sector is hampered by outdated practices and inadequate mechanisation with no national policy to drive the sector.

However, speaking to industry players at a  workshop on the review of draft national agricultural mechanisation policy in Abuja yesterday, permanent secretary, ministry of agriculture and food security, Temitope Fashedemi advocated for the need for a comprehensive mechanisation policy to address challenges in the sector and reduce reliance on outdated farming techniques.

In July, the federal government  launched the Greener Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme  with plans to produce 5,000 tractors locally annually under the National Agricultural Technology Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022-2027.

According to the permanent secretary, 819 tractor operators and mechanics will also be trained to equip them with practical skills to manage modern agricultural machinery as part of the proposed agricultural mechanisation policy.

Fashedemi, represented by the director of planning and policy coordination, Ibrahim Tanimu explained that the push for mechanisation policy was essential to expand productivity through efficient and cost-effective strategies.

He added that the current state of mechanisation in Nigeria is limited and outdated, with fewer than 5,000 functional tractors available nationwide, a figure far from adequate for a growing population that depends heavily on agriculture.

According to him, the proposed mechanisation policy seeks to foster a conducive environment for the sector’s development, while offering guidelines and standards to encourage investment and innovation.

He explained that the policy aims to address critical areas such as training, research, technology development, and private sector engagement. It also sets out to prevent the importation of obsolete machinery, while ensuring farmers have access to modern, effective equipment.

He noted that key elements of the policy will include measures to stimulate private-sector investment, enhance research and technological innovation, and provide training for agricultural machinery operators.

He said, “Currently, there is no National Policy on agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria, but there are strategies under agricultural policy; in which the government promotes agricultural mechanisation over different periods.

The significance of the national policy in agricultural mechanisation is to attain food security, livelihood security, strong export.”

The workshop, chaired by the director, federal department of rural development,  Frank Kudla, brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and farmer associations, to review and refine the policy.