Daily Trust

We understand you have an arrangement with farmers’ associations to supply huge number of farm machines. Can you tell us more on this?

We are supplying at least 10,000 tractors and implements for the 2016 farming season and a similar quantity in 2017. This will be the first time Nigerian public would have 20,000 tractors and implements within two years. In the past years, there were no efforts. The previous government was not laying emphasis on agriculture, but President Mohammadu Buhari leads by example. He is laying emphasis on agriculture and he is doing the right thing at the right time because Nigerians will benefit immensely.

For instance, because of the current situation economically we are bringing 10,000 tractors, that is about N70 billion. Now if you ask people to pay you for the cost of the tractor, that will be expensive, so we are working with RIFAN. They need about 9,000 tractors and implements, which mean the 10,000 will go to one association, but we have given them 4,250 tractors.

There is groundnut association with membership of about 900,000 people but the rice farmers association has 12 million people that’s why they were given 4,250 tractors. That what we concluded with them.

Why are the farmers’ associations looking up to agric supper market?

Because we have given them very attractive proposal to all farmers that are members of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) or National Association of Groundnut Producers or national association of tomatoes, onions and whatever you think. This is our time to play a better role of supporting Mr President’s idea, so we went down by asking for only 10% of the cost of the tractor as a down payment. After paying 10%, you take delivery and stay two months before you start paying, and you will not pay in two years but you are to pay in 30 months plus the two months of moratorium given to you which makes up 32 months.

What informed your decision?

For the benefit of the common man-he is a farmer, very good farmer but he has no capital. So those who cannot afford to pay for the cost of a tractor, are being encouraged to farm under tractorisation policy.

Will this meet the tractors need of farmers and will they be able to afford the services?

The country needs more than 50,000 tractors to meet the demand. Under the previous administration, farmers were hiring at 35,000 to 40,000, but the ones I am pushing out to farmers, I have reduced it to 25,000 per day. If you hire at this rate, you will be making 500,000 per month what you will pay me is just 150,000, so you see you have a surplus of 350,000 and you will stay two months before you start paying.

But what is the difference because the poor farmer cannot even afford the 10% down payment?

But he can afford to pay the 25,000 a day to cover how many hectares he has for rice or groundnuts, tomato whatever you have, which is why the ordinary farmers who are poor will be very happy and they are happy by hearing through the association of rice farmers that these things would

be made available.

Does this equipment have warranty and repair centres?

These have two years warranty. Most of the companies give warranty one year, we give two years and ten years availability of spare parts. That particular tractor you see (Belarus), the spare parts are guaranteed for 20 years because it’s very rugged.

We are partnering with Belarus tractor manufacturing company to set up an assembly plant in which will be situated in Kaduna. You may ask Why Kaduna? It is because Kaduna has been the headquarters of entire northern region and the nearest to all the 19 northern states. Secondly, the governor made available the land to encourage me.