The Federal Government has opened discussions with Tee-Pama Nigeria Limited, vendors of Chinese YTO Agricultural/construction Machinery to deploy farm machines in order to enhance its initiatives on food security.
The closed-door meeting which was chaired by Engineer Sule Majeed, Director Mechanization, took place at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Headquarters in Abuja recently.
Interacting with journalists after the meeting, the Head Procurement and Administration, Akintunde Akinkumi explained that YTO Group Corporation through Tee-Pama Nigeria Limited was at the Ministry to foster partnership with the government in the area of mechanised Agriculture.
He said YTO Group was an ideal company to participate in the Agriculture industry in Nigeria through Tee-Pama Nigeria Limited and its partners to supply 85,000 farming and construction machineries/implements to boost food production in the country.
He noted that the supply would be carried out within two years with backup components and spare parts to be distributed to the 774 Local Government Areas with one or two years warranty to the Federal Government.
“A large number of YTO tractors samples were to be procured by the Federal Government for about five State Governments which included Kaduna, Zamfara, Kano, Ebonyi etc. as the preliminary phase for the implementation of the Agricultural Mechanisation System, AMS.
“The outstanding performances of the YTO tractors led to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, among the Federal Government, States and YTO CAMACO in 2016 for the supply of 80,000 YTO tractors.
“Although the MOU could not be fully realised due to the recession in Nigeria at that period. Nonetheless, the preliminary tractors supplied have maintained their performances” Akintunde explained.
ALSO READ: Rivers APC Chairman, Okocha welcomes Senator Magnus Abe to party
The firm is expected to supply tractors, harrows, ploughs, harvesters, rollers, bulldozers, graders etc.
Recall that Tee-Pama Nigeria Limited was recently in Niger State where the State Government expressed readiness to partner the YTO Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer to enhance the State’s effort to attaining food security.
During the meeting, Niger State Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Salihu Bawa Bosso said the government is cultivating 250,000hactres of land across the state in the first year of the present administration stressing that Niger State in the next few years would become the Agriculture food hub in Nigeria.
“We are happy that we are here to collaborate to ensure that we redirect the minds of our people into Agriculture. His Excellency, the Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago is committed to solving the critical problems bedevilling the society using Agriculture as a strategy to ensure that our people can feed themselves all round the year.
“We are happy to receive this Company so as to partner to ensure that mechanised agriculture is delivered to Nigerlites and Nigerians by extension. His Excellency have already demonstrated commitment to revamping the agric sector as we already have acquired over 1000 tractors, including planters, harvesters, power tillers and I’m sure we want more of these equipments” Bawa Bosso said.
NEWSNGR.COM.NG