FG UNVEILS AGRIC MECHANISATION POLICY, PLANS 4,000-CAPACITY TRACTOR PLANT

The Federal Government has unveiled a new agricultural mechanisation policy as part of efforts to modernise farming and increase food production across Nigeria.

Under the policy, the government plans to establish a tractor assembly plant with a capacity to produce 4,000 tractors annually, aimed at improving farmers’ access to modern agricultural machinery.

Officials said the initiative would reduce dependence on imported farm equipment while supporting local manufacturing and creating jobs within the agricultural value chain.

The government said increased mechanisation would help farmers cultivate larger areas of land, improve productivity, reduce production costs, and address some of the labour challenges affecting agriculture.

Agricultural stakeholders welcomed the policy, saying limited access to tractors and other machinery has remained a major constraint to large-scale farming in the country.

They urged the government to ensure that locally assembled tractors are affordable and supported by reliable access to spare parts, maintenance services, financing, and trained operators.

Experts also stressed the need to improve rural roads and other infrastructure so that agricultural machinery can be transported and used efficiently across farming communities.

The policy is expected to complement broader government efforts to strengthen food security, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase domestic agricultural production.

Stakeholders called for strong private-sector participation and consistent government policies to ensure that the tractor assembly initiative remains commercially sustainable.

They also urged the government to establish effective distribution and financing systems so that smallholder farmers can benefit from the mechanisation programme.

The Federal Government said the new policy would strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, create employment opportunities, and support the transition from predominantly manual farming to more efficient mechanised agriculture.