The North East Commodity Association (NECAS), Taraba state has distributed 30 new tractors to the 16 LG Chairmen of the Association for this year’s farming.
State Mechanisation Manager, Engr. Sulaiman D. Sulaiman who disclosed this to newsmen during the distribution exercise in Jalingo, said the tractors will be use for commercial at a subsidize rate for farmers to ease the hardship they are facing in the state.
He said, over two thousand people including women and youth will benefit from the 30 tractors across the 16 LGAs which comprise drivers and their maids, Supervisors as well as booking agents who have already been employed by the association.
“We have employed over two thousand people to work as Tractor Operators, conductors, supervisors and booking agents and we have organised a training for them to know their responsibilities as well as the rules and regulations of the Association, so if you look at the whole thing, so many people will benefit from each tractor apart from farmers that will also get their work done at a subsidize rate unlike before” said Engr. Sulaiman.
He explained that one hectare will be done for farmer at the sum of N20,000, while harrowing will be at the cost of N15,000 after providing seedings, fertilizer and other inputs for the farmer.
According to him, priority has also been given to persons with disability to enable them benefit from the scheme, considering the fact that we are in an era of mechanize farming where you pay for everything and get your work done.
He added that, out of 25,000 farmers that were screened and cleared by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from Taraba state that will benefit from it’s scheme, about 6000 are women and promised to provide farmers with commodities with a view to improve their productivity.
While urging beneficiaries of such loans to always pay back on time to enable others benefit, Engr. Sulaiman D. Sulaiman also warned the Tractor Operators against dishonesty, noting that the tractors are been monitored because trackers has been installed in them and anybody found tempered with it will be considered as a thief.
He appealed to the people of Taraba state to put aside religion, ethnicity and tribalism and join hands together to leave in peace with one another, promising that the Northeast Commodity Association (NECAS) will do everything possible in promoting mechanize farming in the state by providing all necessary mechanisms and other items for formers.
Speaking in an interview, Technical Officer of the Association, Malam Isa Muhammad Yayi who spoke on behalf of the Tractors Operators promised to carry out their assigned responsibilities professionally with honesty.
Also in an interview, some of the employees who attended the induction training by NECAS, Ibrahim Ana’s from Lau LG, Vivian Bulus, Wukari and Jennifer Cletus from Zing as well as Bello Umar Jauro from Jalingo LGA all applauded the effort of the Association for providing job opportunity for them which they said it will along way in reducing unemployment among youth in the society.
They however, promised to make good use of the gesture by carrying out their duties deligently according the guidelines of the Association and called on the youth including women to key into farming and desist from seeking for a white collar job, while they also appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for given emphasis on agriculture, saying it has helped Nigeria from experiencing shortage of food especially during this trial moment of Covid-19 pandemic.
Those that grace the occasion including NECAS LG Chairmen of Bali, Wukari, Jalingo and Ibi among others.
