FG to partner Czech Republic to boost agriculture
NAN-AE-7
Agriculture
By Lizzy Okoji and Kate Obande
Abuja, May 24, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government is to enter into partnership with the Czech Republic to boost agriculture in the North-East as part of effort to reconstruct, rehabilitate and resettle the region
Mr Tijjani Tumsah, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI) made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during a demonstration visit of the Knight tech company to the Committee.
Tumsah said that the partnership when entered into would enhance agricultural production in the country which would help in boosting the nation’s economy.
He said the PCNI commended the introduction of the global multipurpose mini tractor by a Czech company to boost agriculture production in Nigeria.
According to Tumsah, the innovation is a welcomed development in line with the PCNI’s target to revamp the agricultural sector of the insurgency affected states of the North-East.
He said that the multiplicity of the mini tractor was highly commendable as it would make agriculture production more efficient in the region and in conformity with the Buhari Plan of rebuilding the North-East.
“The North East is over 20 per cent of the land size of Nigeria and has agriculture as its main stay with over 80 per cent of the people engaged in agriculture and agro business.
“One of the objectives of the PCNI is to make sure that the people to resume their livelihood in a better way post insurgency.
“We intend to support them in any way that is productive and that can be measured
“Right now, while we are dealing with the humanitarian issues and security, we are also recommencing early recovery and livelihood and it is a good idea to make this presentation.
“We have invited representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and also the State governments in that region to discuss on ways to enhance agriculture in the North-East,’’ Tumsah said.
Mr Karl Laryea, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Knights Transfer of Technologies, Czech Republic said that the innovation is a shift from the primitive phase of agriculture to a mechanised simple machine.
Laryea said that the single machine with multiple facilities is simple, affordable, efficient and was designed to make farming a lot easier for small scale farmers who make up 70 per cent of farmers.
He said the machine was economical and durable explaining that with a litre of petrol the machine can work through a hectare of land and can last for over 20 years.
Laryea said that to make the product more affordable to farmers, the Knights company was partnering with the Czech Export Bank where the farmer can obtain the machine and pay within four years.
He, however, urged the Federal and state governments to support the farmers by purchasing the machines for them and subsidising it for them, since most of them do not have collateral to take a loan.
Laryea said that if the machine is accepted in the Nigerian market, the company would open its assembling plant, ware houses in Lagos and Abuja, and engage Nigerian companies on a franchise.
He explained that this would make the spare parts available, create jobs for Nigerians and reduce importation of the machine parts.
Laryea said that mechanical experts from Nigeria would be trained in the Czech Republic on how to repair the machines while others would be trained to retrain the farmers on how to operate the machine.
Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbeh said that the innovation was timely as it was coming at a time when agriculture is taking centre stage to diversify the Nigerian economy away from oil.
Ogbeh, who was represented by Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, Deputy Director, Engineering and Mechanisation said that the present administration was committed to boosting agriculture and supporting small scale farmers through positive innovations.
He said that the multi-purpose mini tractor had undergone the testing and certification at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation in Ilorin and has been certified fit to work on the Nigerian soil.
The Minister advised farmers to clear their lands properly before using the machine so that it can work properly explaining that a macro tractor would also not work well if the land is not properly cleared.
The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria, Mr Pavel Mikes said that the introduction of the multi-purpose tractor in Nigeria would further strengthen the economic ties of both countries.
Mikes, who was represented by Mrs Beata Matusikova of the Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Embassy in Nigeria, urged the Nigerian government to key into the mechanised innovation.
“We believe that bringing here the mini tractor will be helpful in the area of agriculture which is significant for Nigeria and to boost exportation.
“This will be an improvement on the hard working life of the ordinary Nigerian farmer and we would be happy if this product would find consumers in the Nigerian market.
“Czech Republic is good in Agriculture and we understand the needs of Nigerian agriculture and the Knights Company, taking into account these conditions and have made this machine in conformity with the Nigerian soil,’’ Mikes said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the global multi-purpose mini tractor is a single machine that has the components to Cart, plough, mill, irrigate, harrow, mow, harvest, plant and shred.
The complete set of the machine cost 4,500 Euros but it could be bought in single components which ranges from 2,500 Euros, depending on the needs of the farmers. (NAN)
LIZ/KTE/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide