Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has announced that Nigeria has placed orders for 2,000 tractors and 9,000 other farming implements from Belarus as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle food inflation and improve agricultural infrastructure.
Kyari revealed this development during an appearance on Channels Television on Sunday night, highlighting the government’s commitment to mechanized farming. “We have to make an order. I went to Belarus where we have ordered 2,000 tractors and 9,000 of other implements including planters, harrowers, sprinklers, etc. They have produced 5,000 of the 9,000 and within the next 30 to 60 days, they will be here.”
He explained that these imports are part of a broader strategy to ensure food security in Nigeria, which includes the deliberate renaming of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security by President Bola Tinubu. “When Mr. President appointed us, he renamed the ministry from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. That is for emphasis to show that there is a deliberate attempt to make sure there is food security in Nigeria,” Kyari said.
Kyari acknowledged that Nigeria is facing significant food challenges, partly due to the rapid population growth projected to reach about 400 million by 2050. “The rate of production is lower than the rate of population growth. Where food is produced is not where it is processed. Where it is processed is not necessarily where it is consumed. There are steps and infrastructure needed, even farm infrastructure must be improved upon and we are doing that.”
The Minister stressed the importance of mechanization and private sector involvement to overcome these challenges. “There are challenges! already. If you’re trying to build a two-storey building, you will have to dig the foundation but if you have to build a 50-story building, you will have to dig deeper. What Mr. President is trying to do is that he is giving us a directive to do what is right. We need to mechanize, then we need to involve the private sector.”
Discussing the government’s plans for various crops, Kyari highlighted the focus on cassava and yam production. “Cassava is one of what we have on top right now. We have a team that is working to unbundle the cassava season. There are lots of interventions in the South East, in the South West and in the North Central where we are getting in touch with one of the largest growers of cassava. A lady, Yemisi out of Oyo State who has a large grower scheme of cassava. We have spoken with them and in the next two weeks, we will start to plant cassava stem in the south by the end of August and first week of September. Cassava is really huge,” he said.
“We are number one yam growers in the world. We need to look at infrastructure and do things right. The yam going out of Ghana is from Nigeria. They only settle down, clean the tubers, then package very well and send them out.”
Kyari expressed optimism about reducing food prices, noting that the new yam and potato harvests are already bringing prices down, though he acknowledged recent price increases due to protests. He also addressed the issue of hoarding in agrarian rural communities, where agricultural produce is used to store value.
“You would see farmers keeping agricultural commodities to store value whenever the need arises or during festivities. This is happening all over the place. When the government went around, we were able to see some warehouses locked up with grains inside in Kano and it is one of the issues we are tackling. What we are talking about is the human factor. Mr. President has directed states to be given grains free of charge.”
However, Kyari noted complaints about some individuals re-bagging and selling grains despite the President’s directive for free distribution. On why the Federal Government is not pegging food commodity prices, Kyari explained, “This is the first time we are doing this rice production. We have to look at the costs to be able to determine a fair price at the end of the day. Once you do that, you will be able to peg the price. These are the issues we look at to be able to use the commodity board looking at the imputation or guarantee minimum price for farmers. We don’t want to discourage farmers from cultivating. We will have a system where we will guarantee minimum prices for the farmers.”
“We have done a lot of fertilization, we have done herbicide, insecticide, variety of inputs. We are trying to do 50,000 to 60,000 hectares of cassava within this planting season. We are mainly going to use the private sector,” he concluded.
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