FG tackles manufacturer over delayed 2,000 tractors

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, expressed worry over the delay in the delivery of 2,000 tractors to improve mechanised farming for farmers in Nigeria.

It stated that 500 of the tractors ought to have arrived the country by now and wondered why the firm that is in charge has not been able to deliver.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, who disclosed this in Abuja while speaking with John Deere, the agricultural equipment manufacturer in charge, stated that by now the first set of the tractors ought to be delivered to meet up with promises made to Nigerian farmers.

Recall that the Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with John Deere in November 2023 for the supply of 2,000 tractors annually for the next five years.

Kyari told the team from John Deere that Nigerians had been assured of the delivery of 2000 tractors in 2024, “and by now we should have 500 tractors on ground.”

He said, “The only concern that I have and we have here at the ministry is that there seems to be a slow pace in some of the concepts that we have lined out.

“But here we are, we are a bit stuck in the mud and we want to run away from all the problems that we

have envisaged in the past. And if there are any naughty areas that we need to look at, we need to do it assiduously.”

Kyari noted that there should be quick action on the delivery of the tractors as the wet season is fast approaching, adding that there is the need to quickly see the effect of the tractors for the benefit of farmers and the country at large.

He explained that to increase agricultural yields, there was the need for tractors, stressing that this was very adequate for ramping up the production of food.

“We are challenged as a nation and the land is shrinking, hence we need to increase yield. We are under-tractorised right now as a country. And I think any journey begins with a step. So if you have taken this step, you should commend the Federal Government for taking this step.

“And you’ll find out what I’m talking about. So I think this is the right step in the right direction. The Federal Government, under the

leadership of President Bola Tinubu  has decided that this time this should work.”

The Managing Director, John Deere, Stephan Gouws, told the minister that access to finance had been the challenge confronting his company as regards the supply of the tractors.

“The aim is for mechanisation for higher yields. So the challenge that we see is that the yields are there but its sub optimal. So we have to increase those yields with the land we have. However, access to finance is the biggest stumbling block for us.”

Gouws noted that the goal of his firm was to increase yield and profitability using technology and training and expressed optimism in delivering the tractors once the last couple of hurdles were crossed.