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Niger State has secured a $650 million loan from John Deere for the procurement of agricultural equipment.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, to Governor of Niger State, Bologi Ibrahim, on the state Facebook account, revealed that the equipment will be used for land development and the preparation of 1 million hectares across the state in approximately 100 different farm estates, each averaging 10,000 hectares.
“This initiative seeks to produce about 10 million tons of food annually to support President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.
“The equipment includes 600 high-capacity tractors (100-430hp), 200 high-capacity combine harvesters, 200 bulldozers, 200 excavators, and thousands of other implements, including the latest technology in planters, sprayers, fertilizer spreaders, etc.
“The investment is coming at the right time as the State has recently procured 300 tractors separately to be delivered this January, in addition to a range of other large-scale agricultural machinery,” the statement reads
He said the Governor maintained his administration is poised to support the Agricultural Policy of President Tinubu to ensure food security hence he is evolving strategies that will produce about 10 million tons of food annually.
He expressed confidence that the partnership with John Deere, who is a renowned equipment manufacturer based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, will achieve the desired objective.