The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), South-west and Lagos Chapter, has lauded the Federal Government on the recent launch of 2,000 tractors to drive mechanisation in the sector.
The AFAN Chairman for the South-west and Lagos Chapter, Mr Femi Oke, made the commendation in an interview with Newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.
As part of the efforts of the Federal Government to revolutionise the agriculture sector and achieve food sovereignty, President Bola Tinubu recently launched 2,000 tractors, implements, and equipment for mechanised farming to boost productivity and food security.
The initiative serves as a landmark in the present administration’s food security agenda and its efforts to empower farmers to stimulate rural development.
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Oke appreciated the present administration on the launch of the tractors.
“Grateful it is not a fictitious ploy of the government to raise the hopes of farmers again,” he said.
He said the impacts of the tractors when deployed across the country would be huge in the achievement of food security.
“The impact of the recently launched 2,000 tractors as part of the efforts of the Federal Government to drive mechanisation of the Nigerian agriculture sector to boost food production is going to be huge.
“It is going to make a difference in the livelihood of we farmers and the entire populace while helping us achieve the much-needed national food security.
“Being a stakeholder in the agriculture space for over 30 years, the launch of the first batch of the tractors for agro-mechanisation is a dream come true.
“As a stakeholder in the sector and now the President of AFAN, I have had the privilege to work with four democratic presidents since 1999, from one political era to another.
“Past administrations have been promising local farmers the provision of tractors but were only paying lip service to mechanisation of the Nigerian agriculture sector.
“We were glad to have physically witnessed the delivery and the launch of the first batch of 2,000 tractors procured by the Federal Government,” Oke said.
Oke also disclosed that the association received a mail recently notifying it of the delivery of another set of tractors.
“Aside from the first batch of the tractors delivered last month, we have received a mail notifying us of the delivery of another set of tractors.
“And we believe that this will be enough to boost crop cultivation among local farmers.
“This launch of the tractors is a physical thing. Not like the other times when the cassava bread agenda was being pushed or the fictitious rice pyramids that were displayed for the optics.
“As local farmers, we want to appreciate the government, the president administration and its Renewed Hope agenda of is doing a lot for us in the area of agriculture.
“We are rest assured of increased productivity in the sector and ultimately the achievement of food security across Nigeria,” the AFAN chairman said.