Plateau govt acquires 150 additional tractors for farm mechanisation

The Plateau government said on Tuesday that it had acquired 150 additional tractors at the cost of N1.5 billion as part of efforts to boost mechanised agricultural practices.

Steven Barko, the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, disclosed this in Jos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Barko explained that the tractors were purchased for the three Agricultural Services and Training Centres (ASTCs) located in the three senatorial districts of the state to improve their operations and service delivery.

He said that with the additional 150 tractors, the training centres now had 300 tractors and nine harvesters at their disposal to meet the needs of farmers.

“Acquiring the additional tractors is also in fulfillment of the current administration’s dream of making agriculture the driver of economic development in the state.

“It is also to make Plateau the hob of agricultural mechanisation in the country.

“The 150 tractors are expected to ease the bid to commercialise agricultural practices in Plateau; that will, in turn, drive economic development in the state”, he said.