FG partners private body, acquires farm equipment to boost agriculture
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with Efugo farms, have acquired 80 units of rice and wheat reapers (harvesters) to help boost productivity of the cereals in Nigeria.
The reapers are the first set brought into the country by Efugo farms for a test run which 30 units have been disbursed to Kebbi state already.
The machine, which is 1.5 meters wide and has a height of one meter costs N1.6 million and has the capability to harvest about four hectares of land per day and also neatly stark products where farmers will collect and move to the threshers.
Speaking to journalists on the harvesters, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cheif Audu Ogbeh, said the idea behind bringing the machines into the country is to reduce the cost and stress of harvesting rice and wheat in Nigeria.
He said it is part of government efforts towards attaining rice sufficiency saying, “If we have these machines on rice and wheat farms, the cost and stress of rice farming will be reduced by almost 80% that is the idea.”
He said there are plans to involve the states and so far, states like Kebbi, Ebonyi and Jigawa have indicated interest pointing that, “what we will do is give them to the states, train groups of young Nigerians to operate the machines; each reaper and thresher will have eight people operating it; in one day, this boy can harvest about four hectares and are paid.”
The machine will not only help boost rice production in the country and ease the stress of farmers but will also provide a source of income for young Nigerians that will be hired and trained to operate them.
“So, you can imagine how much income will follow. Teams of youths who are harvesting rice, it will be their own business and when the season comes, they arrive at your farm harvest your rice or wheat and then move on and if you cannot pay in cash, you pay with rice”, the Minister said.
Cheif Ogbeh said the government is making efforts to support dry season farming by making fertilizers available, chemicals and pumps for irrigation farming as farmers are already back in their farms for dry season farming.
Also speaking to journalists at the assembling ground in Kuje Abuja, the assistant Manager Efugo farms, Mr. William Onyilo said The machines have the ability to neatly harvest rice and stark them to be picked up by farmers and moved to the thresher thereby preventing the tedious process of manual harvesting while also preventing stone free rice.
He said the reapers are durable, fast and efficient adding that the machine saves time and cost and is also risk free.
“The work that will normally require more hands will now be done with few hands”, he said.
