Nigerian Tribune 15 Tuesday, 17 May, 2011
'State govts still foot . dragging on tractorisation scheme' P
tractor is N7million, but the Federal Government, und e r the tractorisation scheme, will subsidise it with 25 per cent, while the state government is expected ' to s ubsidise the cost price of a tractor with 15 < per cent. . With this arrangement, both the federal and state governments will subsidise the tractorisation programme with 40 per cent and by monetary interpretation, this is N4.4million. The balance is, however, ex'. pected to be paid by the cooperative society which interested farmers belong to," he sated .-· Engineer Ihliza further stated that the Federal Government had con C tributed its own quota of the money for the
RACTISING farmers in the country who do not belong to any association or farmer ' s grou p, have been advised to join farmer's society in their communities ! states so that they can access benefi ts from programmes that will be coming from local, state and federal governments . This becomes imperative because government will not give anything to individual ' farmers, just as it will not' render any assistance. or help to farmers who cannot, identify themselves with any cooperative society or farmer'.s association. An agriculture expert, Herbert Ezenwa, stated this in an interview with
Tribune Agriculture.
tractorisation According to him, programme, but S O IllL' "farmers stand to gain a state governments were lot if only they can form still foot-dragging . The themselves into groups expert also affirmed that and present their chalthe programme is to enlenges ' to the governcourage public-private ment. Government, it oEngineer Inuws Ihlizs . oMr Herbert Ezenwa should be emphasised, partnership. dOes not have a business with individual ' farmer security" the.n: ,farmers must embrace commercial "He said, "It is also designed to erase political farm- . anf! that is why we are encouraging farmers to join: ·. and mechanised ' farming. ers, as well as curb the actvities of middle-men from 'cooperative societies," he advised'. Explaining ,further, the exp~rt said the Federal the busines's of agriculture in the country. The govAsked to comm.e nt on the ptoblem of insufficient ,Government 'had set. aside billions pf naira fo~ ernment is no longer interested in buying tractors and tractors and other farm implements which has be- ' the' development 0'£ .the agricultural sector ' and giving it to states of the federation, rather, the new l;ome a major headache to practising farmers in there was a N7millio!, loan meant for the' pure arrangement is for farmers to get tractors on their own the country, especially those in rural areas ; 'chase of a tractor, stressing ,that. if farmers w<iul~ through the laid down arrangements coordinated .[,\' Ezenwa, who is the Director, Cooperatives of Agro- have access to a tractor, then they were expected Agro-Pro Company. The Federal Government ho, Pro Company Nigeria Ltd, the company supply- to form themselves into a ,cooperative society and made the arrangement easy and has paid its own 25 ing a brand of tractor known as John Dere in the such a cooperative society would only pay one- . per cent subsidy to the company, so it is left for state ,entire country, explained that up till now, there fourth of the cost price of the tractor. governments to pay their own 15 per cent so that farmwere insufficient tractors for farmers ' use in dif~ Also commenting about the tractorisation scheme ers in their states could have access to the tractor. ferent parts of the country . He linked the problem of the government and the advantages farmers stood Moreover, he a,d vised state governments to make it to the refusal of seme state governments to coop- to gain, Engineednuwa Ihliza, the Operating Man- a reality because if they fulfill their own quota, they erate with the Federal Government to achieve the ager of Agro-Pro Company stated that the would be helping farmers in their states to increase objectives of the tractorisation programme! programme had a tripatite arrangement involving their food production capacity and by doing this, scheme. the federal and state governments as well as coop- they would be getting their farming activities He said the tractorisation programme was not erative society of farmers . mechanised as well", he emphasised. only a good scheme, but a welcome development In his words, the total package comprise a John meant to help farmers have unhindered access to Deere tractor, a plough, tractors and other farm implements, as well as hotahreror w"merp' lermidegnetrs. aTnhd reduce their sole dependence on cutlass and hoes, e adding that if the country was to achieve food price of a John Deere N central Niger's affordable prIce so that mg further, Ma,zama afDosso region, the use they can increase their firmed that as demand of improved cowpea, output. grew, decided to set up a • millet and sorghum Behind this initiative seed company which he seeds, has been gradually is a 32 year old agricul- called ISC Alherie ( meanHE end appears to included teaching farmers Given previous dramatic helping to improve food tural graduate, Mr ing 'blessing in Hausa to recognise comebacks, generally be, in sight for one of how language. It' s highly the world's most rinderpest, establisrung caused by programmes seqIrity and increase Issoufou Maizama. According to him, ' it popular products have response that were discontinued too farmer's revenues since devastating animal diseases. emergency biosecurity soon, FAO is committed to 2004. The profitable re- was after doing my civil now flooded local markets With what are believed plans, to have been the last protocols, and national seeing the last control suits have attracted serviceatNiger'sNational and since I began to use for activities completed in many people since Janu- Agricultural Reseach In- improved seeds, I have pockets now eradicated, programmes 2011 before officially ary 2009, together with stitute, NNARl that I de- had very good harvests the World Organisation monitoring and control. profit", stated Between 1994 and declaring the demise of the the Alliance for Green cided to enter the fanning and for Animal Health (OlE) Revolution in Africa business. I started by try- Aboubacar Moussa, a 47around 170 cattle plague. and other partners are 2009, If, as is widely pfed.icted, (AGRA), a programme to ing to make my family's year old farmer from preparing to declare countries and territories succeeded in eradicating rinderpest is wiped out, it produce and distribute lahd more profitable. The Doutchi in the .oosso rerinderpest eliminated. The Global Rinderpest rinderpest and acqu.ired will be the first time in improved seeds has been yields were good and of gion seeds also have a .•• ~,.. Eradication Programme OIE certification. history that humarIkind lauched. recent, aU my friends and good tolerance tq drought,. The last cO!lfirmed has succeeded ' in (GREP) pas systematically The idea.is to enable relations have also started which has given farmers outbreak of rinderpest eradicaiii\g an' animal fought the disease since its small-scale producers to using these improved a great sense of hope. launch in 1994. Tactics occurred in Kenya in 200t. disease. - Spore bulletin buy certified seeds at an seeds," he stated. Speak-
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