The Federal Government has disclosed the resolution of John Deere, a popular American tractor manufacturing firm, to establish a tractor assembly plant in Nigeria to improve agricultural production and food security.
This was made known during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and top officials of John Deere, led by its Vice President on Production Systems, Jason Brantley, and facilitated by the Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Mr. John Coumantaros.
Deere & Company, also known as John Deere, is an American company that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains used in heavy equipment, lawn care equipment, and agricultural mechanization.
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Speaking during the interaction with the investors, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria is committed to transforming agriculture as a pathway to tackling insecurity and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
“Without mechanization, you can never be truly self-sufficient in food production. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully committed to revitalizing the Nigerian agricultural sector. And for us to be self-sufficient in food production, three key elements are essential. First are certified seeds, then mechanization, the provision of fertilizer, and, of course, agricultural extension services,” he noted.
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The Vice President also spoke on the platform provided by the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) and how investors can leverage it to add value to Nigeria’s agricultural produce for domestic, regional, and global communities.
Mr. Brantley, on his own, noted that the plan to set up a tractor assembly plant would not necessitate any government investment. He also narrated that the project will unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential by creating an organized approach to tractor-clearing services for smallholder farmers across the country.
He expressed the company’s readiness to immediately engage relevant authorities in Nigeria to actualize the objective of establishing the assembly plant, while calling for credit guarantees to facilitate access to affordable credit for individuals or groups interested in this endeavor.
