News in Brief:
– Nigeria’s agriculture minister recently visited Zimbabwe to explore agricultural cooperation, particularly in the area of mechanisation.
– The visit aimed to assess the capacity of Aftrade DMCC to establish service centres for the 2,000 Belarus tractors supplied to Nigeria
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, recently concluded a strategic visit to Zimbabwe to bolster agricultural cooperation between the two African nations.
During the visit, the Minister held high-level meetings with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Anxious Jongwe Masuka.
Effectively, the discussions centred on exploring opportunities to enhance food security and agricultural productivity in both countries.
A focus on agricultural mechanisation
A key aspect of the visit involved assessing the capabilities of Aftrade DMCC. The company is set to supply Nigeria with 2,000 Belarus tractors and related agricultural equipment.
Essentially, the minister aimed to determine Aftrade’s capacity to establish 52 tractor service stations across Nigeria which will support the government’s agricultural mechanisation programme.
Zimbabwe, which has implemented a similar program with Aftrade, offered a valuable benchmark for Nigeria to evaluate the company’s potential to manage the proposed service centre network.
Nigeria’s agricultural mechanisation journey
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s agricultural mechanisation journey has been marked by sporadic government initiatives and private sector efforts. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest in agricultural mechanisation.
Government initiatives and private sector investments have aimed to promote the adoption of modern agricultural technologies.
Recent instances of the Nigerian government’s collaboration with foreign partners to provide tractors to Nigerian farmers include:
- Partnership with John Deere: In November 2023, the Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with John Deere, a global leader in agricultural machinery. This partnership aims to enhance access to affordable agricultural equipment for Nigerian farmers. John Deere has committed to producing 2,000 tractors annually in Nigeria, contributing to the country’s food security goals.
- Collaboration with Chinese Manufacturers: The Nigerian government has been exploring partnerships with Chinese agricultural machinery manufacturers to supply a large number of tractors and other farming equipment.
Analysts say these partnerships represent significant steps towards modernising Nigerian agriculture. It also aims at empowering farmers with the tools they need to increase production and improve livelihoods.
