In line with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency on food security, the Federal Government has partnered with 20 international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to boost farmers’ access to mechanised farming in the country.
Chairman of Eurobase Consult, the lead partner of the OEMs, Don Ekesiobi, stressed that the partnership was necessary to bring the equipment closer to Nigerians and boost food security in the country.
Ekesiobi, at a briefing ahead of the Special Agro Equipment and Technology Expo organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, noted that the two-day stakeholders’ engagement billed for Abuja was aimed at tackling the food crisis in the country.
According to him, agricultural mechanisation will attract youths to farming, adding that industrialised nations are far ahead because of mechanised farming; hence mechanisation is important to boost food production.
Speaking on the affordability of the equipment, he said foreign exchange shot the prices up, unlike foreign countries where prices of the equipment were still the same as three years ago.
The chairman further said the clearing process at the ports added to the problem and urged the government to exempt farming equipment from import tariffs, at least for the next two years, for Nigeria to achieve food security.
Many of the partners, he disclosed, have solutions to the challenges bedeviling farmers in the different agriculture sub-sectors, noting that the partners were coming to showcase irrigation, production, processing and export among other equipment, and expressed optimism that Nigerians would not lose the opportunities coming to their doorstep.
He said: “Many youths do not see farming as a business. But if they know what farming is all about, especially mechanised farming, they will be more attracted to the farm. With mechanisation, we do not have any reason to be hungry and our youths will embrace farming.”
Stressing that the exhibition is open to everyone into farming, he urged all the commissioners of agriculture to also attend.
Highlights of the two-day exhibition, The Guardian gathered, will include a showcase of a wide range of agricultural equipment and machinery as well as the provision of a platform for farmers, agricultural stakeholders and industry experts to exchange ideas and best practices.
It will also demonstrate the government’s commitment to support the sector and promote technical advancements.
