Oluchi Chibuzor
Barring any further delay, farmers across the country would receive tractors, fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs under a soft loan scheme designed to boost agricultural mechanisation.
The Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, said this during a visit to the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, recently.
Nanono, said the federal government has concluded plans to distribute over 10,000 tractors and inputs to farmers in the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
He explained that each of the councils would be allocated tractors worth N150, 000 million and inputs as soft loan to be repaid in an 11-year plan.
“What we need is that the beneficiaries must be genuine farmers and Indigenes of the participating local government councils,” he said.
“The gesture is to assist farmers to boost their production capacity so that the government could mop up excess produce for strategic reserves. The Federal Government would commence implementation of the programme in the second quarter of the year 2020,” he added.
The Emir, who was represented by Alhaji Basiru Sanusi, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari over his commitment to reinvigorate the Agricultural Sector.
The Emir informed that the council had set up a committee to mobilise participation in the agricultural transformation programme of the government, “when we heard about the federal government’s plans to give soft loans to farmers in the 774 local government areas, we set up an awareness creation committee to mobilise participation in the programme.”
