Why we are yet to distribute 2,000 tractors to farmers – FG

The federal government has explained why the 2,000 tractors launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme are yet to be distributed to farmers. President Tinubu had unveiled the tractors alongside thousands of farming implements, including 50 industrial-grade land preparation booths, 12 fully equipped mobile workshops, and over […]

The federal government has explained why the 2,000 tractors launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme are yet to be distributed to farmers.

President Tinubu had unveiled the tractors alongside thousands of farming implements, including 50 industrial-grade land preparation booths, 12 fully equipped mobile workshops, and over 8,000 specialised farming tools, as part of efforts to boost food production and create jobs.

However, addressing State House correspondents after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the tractors would be distributed during the dry season.

“We have basically four mechanisation programmes—the Belarus 2,000 tractors, the John Deere 2,000, the Green Imperative Programme with Brazil, and the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme. The Belarus tractors are all completed and on ground, but when they were commissioned a few months ago, land preparation had already passed. It is now, as we move into the dry season, that distribution will take place,” Kyari explained.

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He added that while the John Deere project was still in the pipeline, the Green Imperative Programme with Brazil had reached advanced stages, with agreements and MOUs already signed.

On fertilizer availability, the minister said government policies had liberalised the industry, expanding blending plants from about five to nearly 90 within a few years. This, he said, contributed to last year’s bumper harvest and the stabilization of food prices.

“Even during the tomato lean season in May and June, prices remained stable. That is a testament to the President’s policies,” Kyari stated.

On insecurity, he noted that improved military operations had opened up previously inaccessible farmlands in areas such as Birnin Gwari and Funtua, creating opportunities for expanded agricultural activities.