FG to boost agric mechanization programme with $1bn – Minister

ABUJA- AS national protest looms over hunger and hardship across the country, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, yesterday, disclosed Federal Government’s moves to boost an agricultural mechanization programme christened ‘Greener Hope National Agricultural Productivity and Large Scale Mechanization Support Programme’ with $1 billion facility from private sector financing.

Kyari made this known in an opening remark during a courtesy visit led by the Chairman, Origin Tech Group, Prince Samuel Samuel, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the programme was conceived by Messrs. Origin Nigeria Ltd with input from the Ministry and approved by the Federal Executive Council at its meeting on 25th June, 2024, with a view to promoting agricultural mechanization and ensuring food sufficiency in the country.

Meanwhile, the Minister explained that the project facility will be repaid over a period of 10 years by the participating States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, through their receipt of incomes and earnings from the operations of the planned farm estates and mechanization services to large and medium farms in their geo-political zones. The participating states will pay the Federal Government, which will repay the private financiers.

He also said for the State Governments and the FCTA, it is targeted for them to invest in the agricultural mechanization service centres and large-scale food production hubs (farm estates) in designated farming clusters nationwide, which 150,000 hectares at 25,000 hectares per each of the six geo-political zones, with 10,000 hectares for anchor States and a minimum of 2,000 hectares for other participating States is needed.

He said: “The Programme is in line with Mr. President’s Executive order of Declaring State of Emergency on Food Security, that target of cultivating 500,000 hectares of arable land, promoting technologies, enhancing Agro-industrialization, and encouraging youth’s participation in agriculture, towards attaining food security, job and in wealth creation

“The programme is about the Development of Model Agricultural Mechanization Service Centres and Hubs in designated farming clusters across Food production in the 37 locations. It is a structured and systematic delivery of assorted equipment to the targeted centres across the country, as well as capacity building for 5,000 participants in precision training, mechanization, and agribusiness.

“Messrs. Origin Tech Nigeria Limited through its subsidiary, Origin Automobile Work, is into production assembly of mechanization equipment manufacturing and advisory services, with annual installed capacity for 10,000 tractors production line. They intend to set up an automobile tractor manufacturing plant to produce 5,000 tractors annually, as well as 1,000 mechanization equipment enterprise centres nationwide. The company would source technical partnership from South Korea, Taiwan and Brazil.

“For implementation purposes, the Greener Hope National Agricultural Productivity and Large Scale Mechanization Support Programme would have the provision of 1 Billion US dollar facility from private sector financing, a 20% upfront counterpart fund of 200 Million US Dollars, and the related incentives and support. The execution of the programme will be along the roles and responsibilities of the relevant Ministries, Offices and Bodies.”

According to the Minister, the implementation of the Greener Hope Agricultural Productivity Programme/Large-Scale Mechanization Support Programme, is expected to be executed by different Ministries, Departments and Agencies with clear responsibilities and actions.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Origin Tech Group, Prince Samuel Samuel gave a detailed presentation on the overview of the programme highlighting the three essential pillars that will drive the implementation phase. The first pillar covers machinery and equipment supply, while the other two pillars (capacity building and farm production) will come under technical assistance.

He explained the governance structure for the programme, the responsibility matrix and the delivery timelines. He sought for a robust interaction among all stakeholders and assured that the implementation will be made flexible based on need assessment and concurrence by the end users of the plant and machinery.

He underscored the importance of inaugurating the steering committee and the three sub-committees of finance, technical and security to guarantee a seamless implementation exercise.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/07/fg-to-boost-agric-mechanization-programme-with-1bn-minister/