FG Deploys 2,000 Tractors to Aid 1.2M Farmers

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced an initiative targeting 1.2 million farmers by deploying 2,000 tractors to boost food production during the current wet season. Ayodel Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, disclosed this in a statement issued by the bank's Corporate Communications Department, led by Ruth Didam.

This intervention aligns with President Bola Tinubu's agricultural agenda aimed at strengthening food security and improving farmers' incomes. The program focuses on mechanization, addressing Nigeria's low tractor density of 0.27 per 100 square kilometers.

The initiative includes introducing guaranteed minimum prices for staple crops such as maize, rice, soybean, and cassava, with the bank purchasing excess produce directly from farmers to prevent post-harvest losses. Additionally, a ginger revival program will be launched to replace traditional replanting methods with tissue culture technology, aiming to expand the ginger industry to a $300 million sector and a $3 billion export powerhouse by 2028.