FEC Approves Acquisition Of 2000 Tractors, 1200 Trailers To Boost Food Security
To bolster food security in Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has unveiled plans to procure 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, and 1,200 tractor trailers as part of the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP).
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, on Wednesday, outlining the FEC meeting outcomes in Abuja, the equipment will be supplied by DMCC firm, which also intends to establish local assembly plants for some of these equipment in the country.
He remarked, “Procurement of 2000 tractors, 4000 disc ploughs, 1000 disc ridges, 1200 tractor trailers and assorted spare parts. The items to be supplied are for the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP) to strengthen national food security.
“Astride DMCC, which has done a similar job in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Togo, will supply all the equipment and will also set up a plant to assemble the machinery, in the second stage of the contract.”
Furthermore, the federal government said it will engage stakeholders to get a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) for commodities, ramp up production, especially among smallholder farmers in the 2024/2025 farming season, promote of production of fortified food commodities and others.
The development comes as Nigeria battles food security crisis with food inflation at 40.5 per cent as households struggle to provide for their family across the country.
Furthermore, the price of staple foods especially grains has seen an over 100 per cent increase in prices in the past year.
Recently, the federal government announced plans to share ₦50,000 to 100,000 households across the country’s 36 states for three months and purchase food items worth ₦155bn to be distributed across the country.
