FG, private investors deploy 590 tractors to farmers

The Federal Government, in partnership with private investors, has deployed 590 tractors and post harvest equipment to farmers across the country so as to render mechanisation services to the beneficiaries.

According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the deployment which commenced recently was to commercialise the privatisation of agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Mr. Sunday Echono, disclosed this during a press briefing at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said, “A significant step has been taken by the FMARD to commercialise the privatisation of agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria. Under this arrangement, no fewer than 590 tractors, various harvest and post-harvest equipment have been deployed to render mechanisation services to Nigerian farmers in 2015. This is being implemented based on a public private partnership forum.”

Echono stated that a total of 118 Agricultural Hiring Equipment Enterprises had been created through a government enabled self sustaining private sector driven agricultural mechanisation programme, established with a nationwide outlook, but meant to be implemented in phases.

He said the first batch of the first phase of the programme had been established with 400 tractors, 500 power tillers and harvest equipment.

The permanent secretary said, “These were won by 80 service provider operators across 28 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. They were selected through a highly competitive bidding process to emerge successful out of the 1,000 applications received.

“However, additional number of applicants considered qualified to take-of these centres are still on a waiting list for the subsequent batches of the AEHE deployment.”

Echono observed that in the first batch of the 80 AEHEs, the equipment for rendering agricultural mechanisation services had been deployed to the respective states, adding that their locations were demand-driven and depended in the choice areas of the service provider operators that won the bids.

“They were not government-determined or government-influenced.”

The permanent secretary further stated that the government had arraigned a training programme for all the potential tractor operators of the AEHEs to build their capacity on the usage of the equipment in order to maximise efficiency and reduce damage.

“The training programme will take place in the next three weeks at the Agricultural Mechanics and Machinery Operators Training Centre, while would-be managers will also receive their training at Agricultural and Rural Development Training Institute in Ilorin, Kwara State,” he said.

FG, private investors deploy 590 tractors to farmers