The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the failure to deliver 2,000 tractors, agricultural implements, and 100 combined harvesters as stipulated in agreements under the Presidential Food Security Initiative and the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanization Drive. The committee will also assess the status of the proposed tractor assembly plants outlined in the agreements,Daily Trust reports.
Additionally, the committee is tasked with probing the procurement and distribution of farm implements managed by the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The committee has been given four weeks to report its findings for further legislative action.
This resolution followed the adoption of a motion presented by Rep. Saba Ahmed Adam during Tuesday’s plenary session.
In his motion, Rep. Adam highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security on July 13, 2023, as part of efforts to combat food inflation, hunger, and starvation in Nigeria. A key component of this initiative was to promote large-scale agricultural mechanization across the country.
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“The alarming rise in food inflation and its resulting hunger and starvation among Nigerians prompted Mr. President to take decisive action,” Adam stated. “As part of the Renewed Hope agenda, his administration demonstrated a strong commitment to revolutionizing food production in Nigeria.”
Adam explained that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had entered into agreements with key partners to advance agricultural mechanization.
- John Deere Tractors Agreement: The ministry signed a contract with John Deere to supply 2,000 tractors, implements, and 100 combined harvesters annually. This contract also included provisions for a tractor assembly plant, costing $70,041,733.80 and ₦2,981,739,134.30, to ensure equipment sales, after-sales services, spare parts availability, and training for mechanized service providers.
- AFTRADE DMCC Agreement: The ministry signed a five-year deal with AFTRADE DMCC to establish a tractor assembly plant capable of producing 9,022 agricultural implements and 2,000 Belarus tractors annually. This agreement was valued at $684,190,433.00 and ₦138,613,486,965.00 for equipment delivery and assembly costs.
According to Adam, both agreements promised significant benefits, including increased agricultural production, technology transfer, and reduced foreign currency expenditure on imported machinery through local production.
However, the lawmaker lamented that despite the substantial public funds committed to these agreements, not a single tractor or implement has been delivered over a year after the contracts were signed by the National Agricultural Development Fund and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
