Hot Source•Says 50,000 machinery required to turn the tables
James Emejo in Abuja
The Chief Executive, TracTrac Mechanisation Services Limited, Mr. Godson Ohuruogu, has said the country’s efforts towards agriculture mechanisation depended largely on government’s policy direction and the ability of farmers to access tractors at affordable prices when needed.
He said understanding the specific types of tractor services required as well as awareness were critical to achieving success.
Ohuruogu spoke at the “The State of Mechanization Ecosystem in Nigeria” stakeholder forum which was organized by the firm in Abuja.
TracTrac is a Nigerian company focused on providing mechanisation services to smallholder farmers to improve agricultural productivity and food security in the country and across Africa.
He said to truly transform the mechanisation system in the country, there must be concerted efforts by every stakeholder, though the government is currently leading efforts in this direction, adding that they must contribute their respective quota toward improving tractor density to a more reasonable level.
According to him, tractor density – the number of mechanical power from tractors available per hectare – remained quite low.
He said, “Currently, the statistics show that there are about six tractors for every 10,000 hectares of land. What we hope to achieve in the next three to four years is to increase that to about 20 tractors per 10,000 hectares. This will go a long way in improving the current situation.
“Looking ahead, my estimate is that we need investment sufficient to bring about 50,000 tractors into the ecosystem. Whether that translates to N50 million per tractor or N5 million per tractor—depending on the brand and affordability—the goal is to have up to 50,000 tractors in Nigeria within the next three to five years.”
The TracTrac CEO further told THISDAY that key challenges to achieving mechanisation included lack of sufficient information to make informed investment decisions on the part of investors.
He said, “People generally have more information about other sectors that seem easier to invest in, but mechanisation has remained a relatively difficult space.
“As a result, many potential investors are reluctant to come in. One of our objectives is to make credible information about the tractor ecosystem widely available, so investors can make sound decisions.”
He said, “From the perspective of government, their role should be to enable investment by making it easier to do business in this space.
“From the farmers’ perspective, they must understand the importance of tractors and patronise service providers, so that there is sustained interest in the sector.”
He said moving beyond the forum, the company has long-term strategic plan to raise interest in investment in the mechanisation space, align with ongoing policy discussions already before the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to push policy implementation forward.
He said the company will also strive to encourage reasonable investments—whether by government, private sector, or NGOs—into the ecosystem.
He said, “This includes supporting mechanisation service providers, operators, agents, mechanics, and other players in the value chain.
“We also aim to support local assembly plants, which will play an important role.
“Our mission is to make investment into mechanisation easier, to ensure that service providers—particularly young people—are equipped with the necessary skills to operate as mechanisation service providers, and to continue working with stakeholders to improve the mechanisation situation in Nigeria.
“Our goal is that within the next five years, Nigeria’s mechanisation landscape will be much stronger than it is today.”
