The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has said the production of 2,000 tractors in-country yearly would enhance food production, create jobs for Nigerian farmers, especially women and youth as well as achieve food and nutrition security in the country.
The minister stated this while receiving a delegation from John Deere, an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery.
The delegation, led by the company’s Vice President, Jason Brantley, was on a courtesy visit to the minister’s office in Abuja on Friday 17 November.
Also present were the Chairman and Directors of Flour Mills Nigeria, as well as the Country Director of Tata Africa Services.
Mr Kyari noted that the visit was a follow-up to the meeting between Nigeria’s Vice President Ibrahim Shettima and top officials of John Deere at the recent World Food Prize Foundation held in lowa, USA.
He said that when produced, the government would not off-take the tractors but provide the enabling environment to make the tractors affordable at low-interest rates to Nigerian farmers and boost all-year-round farming.
Mr Kyari pointed out there was the need for farmers to form clusters or co-operatives to ensure that they have access to mechanization and pay instalmentally within a few years.
In his remarks, Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, stressed the need to evaluate existing co-operatives and ascertain those that require support to enable them to access the tractors when available. He also emphasised the importance of identifying crops most suitable for mechanisation.
The Vice President of John Deere, Jason Brantley, said that the company was exploring the feasibility of hiring, acquisition and production, in addition to after-sales services, supply of genuine spare parts and training of operators and mechanics.
The capacity of the tractors would range between 75 and 90 horsepower for use in different terrains in the country.
