FG set to add value in agric through equipment hiring centres

The Federal Government is set to sustain efforts on value addition in its agricultural products through mechanisation by providing access to agricultural equipment hiring centres.

Ahmed Adekunle, the task team leader of the ministerial team for driving agricultural mechanisation, revealed over the weekend in Abuja that the

programme would adopt the model of public-private partnership to operate.

According to Adekunle, the Federal Government has so far injected a whopping N3.6 billion into the scheme, saying that the equipment hiring centres should be up and running towards the end of December.

“We are not specifically saying the centres must be here or there, rather we are going to be visible across the 36 states of the federation. It has been structured

to be demand driven. We have criteria that we had laid down, if one meets the criteria, we would provide access”.

He also noted that farmers who were captured in the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme would have access to the hiring centre.

“Our partners are the manufacturers’ representatives, the farmers themselves, the service providers themselves, Bank of Agriculture and some commercial banks.

“There must be a minimum of 1000 hectares where you are going to deploy this mechanisation; also, a good business plan and cash flow are equally important”.

Notably, he informed that farmers registered under the Growth Enhancement Support scheme, would have un-denied access to the equipment at a better rate, as government is keen on adding value to its production and creating wealth through agriculture.