The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono has inaugurated an 18-member committee for implementation of Federal Government’s Agriculture mechanisation programme called The Green Imperative Programme (GIP).
Nanono said the programme was timely in view of the need to feed the Nigerian population estimated at 200 million as well other African countries which rely on Nigeria.
The programme, which is estimated at $1.1 billion, is to be funded by the Brazilian Government through a loan from the Deutsche Bank (DB), Development Bank of Brazil and Islamic Development Bank.
The loan is expected to be repaid at three per cent interest rate over a period of 15 years for Development Bank of Brazil and seven years including two years moratorium for the DB.
The programme, which is expected to benefit 100,000 young people directly and 5 million indirectly, is designed to enable Nigeria acquire 10,000 units of tractors and 50,000 units of assorted implement and equipment for assembly in Nigeria.
It is also meant to ensure training of project beneficiaries for over 10 years and establishment of 780 service centres to assist small holder farmers prepare the soil, cultivate and harvest farm produce.
GIP is further designed to enhance agricultural mechanisation specialised extension services and agro-processing in the 774 local government areas and the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Nanono, who is chairman of the committee, emphasised the needs to prioritise agricultural mechanisation.
The minister, while lamenting that findings revealed that the country have only 7, 000 functional tractors, expressed optimism that the programme, which would have service centres in 632 local government areas and 140 processing centres, would achieve its mandate in view of the dire need to boost production in the country.
According to him: “We have only 7,000 functional tractors in this country. We have only seven tractors by 100 square kilometres.
“Compare that with Kenya that has 27 tractors by 100 square kilometres. The standard is 127 per square kilometres. So you can imagine the task before us.
“All these noise about this project we are launching today is aimed at only 10,000 tractors. So to even catch up with Kenya, we need to have 60,000 tractors, you can imagine the task before us”.
