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The ministry will buy 10,000 tractors to get the program off the ground, officials said.
The Nigerian government launched a tractor rental scheme in Kaduna on Saturday to promote farming practices in the country.
This initiative was realized by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and other relevant partners.
According to a statement signed by his Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the ministry’s chief information officer,
The initiative will help promote mechanized agriculture, increase food and nutrition security, and increase employment opportunities for Nigeria’s youth.
Upon formally handing over the tractors to farmers at his BOA’s office in Kaduna State, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Mohammad Abubakar said the ministry will work with his BOA and manufacturer representatives to provide farmers with attachments to their tractors. You said you agreed to help the project you provide. About preferential payment terms. He noted that Nigerian farmers are expected to pay a 40% security deposit, with the remaining 60% spread over three years.
The ministry said he would purchase 10,000 tractors with tools and 50,000 equipment for him to get the program off the ground.
According to him, agriculture’s vital role in the Nigerian economy requires revitalizing the sector through the acquisition of tractors to achieve food and nutrition security.
He explained that this would lead to improvements in the quantity and quality of food per capita, reducing labor for Nigerian farmers and increasing productivity in the agricultural sector.
He added that Nigeria and Brazil have reached a bilateral agreement under the More Food International Program (MFIP), resulting in $1.2 billion in in-kind loans. Mr Abubakar further explained, pointing out that the agricultural sector remains one of the main drivers of Nigeria’s economy, contributing 23.78% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Undersecretary Ernest Umakihe, headed by Federal Agriculture Secretary Abu Bakar Abdullahi, said the program will help transform agriculture from subsistence farming to a for-profit enterprise, boost the economy of most farmers, and promote the development of farming communities. , especially youth participation and engagement.
Earlier, Alwan Hassan, managing director of Bank of Agriculture Limited, said that the country’s agricultural mechanization situation is very low compared to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommendation that he He said it was 0.027 hp/hectare.
He added that the success of agricultural production is highly dependent on the level of mechanization. In a message of goodwill, Lliyasu Muazu, president of the Kaduna Chapter of the Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria, said in a message of good will that service providers should be called upon to ensure that farmers in the country’s 774 municipalities benefit from the scheme. asked for further assistance.
The event was attended by the Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau State Agriculture Commissions, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and others.