FG To Launch 600 Agricultural Machinery Hiring Centres

The Federal Govern
ment has stated that it will soon launch 600 agric hiring machinery centre across the country.
The Minister of Agiruclture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, who disclosed this in Abuja recently said such centres would have tractors and full components of mechanisation equipment available for him at lower rates to put than more within the reach of farmers.
He also said that the heavy machines would enable farmers move from small scale agriculture to full scale mechanisation. Giving an update of rice production levels, he said, out of the 1.7 million tonnes of paddy rice Nigeria needs to feed its populace 9.2 million tones have been produced.
He expressed optimism that the country would achieve 13 million tonnes at the end of the 2014 dry season cycle, even as he called for increase in rice mill investment.
According to the statement, the agric hiring centres would have over 55 threshers to enable the threshing and winnowing process of rice to be mechanised.
“We have also developed through the National Centre for Agriculture Mechanisation and the African Rice Centre small threshers that are quite affordable for farmer”. The statement said.
The minister added that the National Assembly would soon commence the process of enacting a law that would ensure sustainability of the  Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Sheme for getting farm inputs to farmers.
He said the budgetary support for agriculture was likely to increase due to the fact that the ministry has affectively utilised what has before been allocated to it. He projected that by 2015 the FG would surpass the 2 million tonnes metric tonnes of food.

Delta State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Misan Ukubeyinje, operating a tractor at the Federal Government Cassava Farm Project, to mark the Commencement of cassava planting on the farm in Abraka, recently.