Minister Kyari announces national service centres; Governor AbdulRazaq highlights state's mechanisation efforts to tackle high food prices

The Federal Government and the Kwara State Government have simultaneously emphasized agricultural mechanisation as the critical solution to addressing high food costs and boosting agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

Federal Government's Mechanisation Plan (Minister Kyari)

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced the Federal Government's plan to establish agriculture mechanisation service centres in all of the country's geopolitical zones.

These centres, upon completion, will serve key functions:

• Training: Providing training for agricultural technicians and operators.
• Repairs and Maintenance: Handling the upkeep and servicing of agricultural machinery.
• Coordination: Organizing and managing the deployment of agricultural technologies.

Speaking at the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) conference in Ilorin, Minister Kyari stressed the government's focus "beyond acquisition" to include standardisation, local assembly, and maintenance systems. This is intended to ensure that every machine is "fit for purpose and supported by skilled technicians."

He also encouraged collaboration between the ministry (representing the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation) and Tanta Motors of Egypt to develop home-grown technologies tailored to Nigeria's specific soils, crops, farming scale, and labour dynamics.

Kwara State's Mechanisation Efforts (Governor AbdulRazaq)

Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State stated that the panacea to the high costs of food in Nigeria is the prompt introduction of relevant tools for mechanised farming.

Speaking at the same NIAE event held at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, the Governor highlighted the state government's ongoing efforts:

• Deployment: The state has deployed tractors, ploughs, processors, and other implements to over 10,000 farming households in each of Kwara's 16 local government areas.
• Impact: The use of rice, cassava, palm oil, and soya bean processors is resulting in higher output and quality for local farmers.

The NIAE event, themed: Standardisation and Promotion of Proven Technologies for Agricultural Production and Value Addition in Nigeria, also coincided with the maiden National Agricultural Machinery Exhibition at the NCAM venue.