The Federal Government will soon roll out 2,000 tractors to farmers nationwide to boost dry-season and all-year farming, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has announced.
Speaking in an interview on Friday, Kyari explained that the tractors and 9,000 implements commissioned earlier in the year had been delayed by timing, as land preparation for the wet season had already passed. He assured that logistics for distribution had been finalised and the machines would be deployed for immediate use.
“These tractors are not going to be there for show. Very soon we are going to roll them out so that we can face the dry season and all-year farming that Mr. President is encouraging,” he said.
Kyari disclosed that the ministry had put in place a monitored system to track tractor use through geofencing and geolocation to prevent diversion. He noted that tractors would be allocated based on farm size and utilisation, with excess capacity extended to neighbouring farmers.
He further highlighted progress under the Green Imperative Programme, valued at $1 billion, aimed at modernising agriculture, and said Nigeria’s farmer database was being verified in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission. A pilot scheme involving 300,000 farmers will begin in Nasarawa State.
On storage, the minister said government was working with investors to expand silo capacity, stressing that the private sector must drive long-term solutions. He also urged local processing of shea nuts to boost income and create jobs, noting that Nigeria produces 40% of the world’s shea nuts but earns only 1% of the global income.
Kyari assured farmers that tractors would be distributed transparently once applications are processed, with priority also given to farm estates and agricultural institutions for research and development.
