Agricultural Mechanization: Bauchi targets 200% increased production yields

By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide Bauchi with cheaper agricultural equipment and make agriculture an alternative source of revenue has been signed between the state government and Government of Czech Republic.
The memorandum is also to make agricultural sector in Bauchi state a better employer of labour through modernized methods of farming that could give greater yield than the traditional agricultural methods.
Governor Mohammed Abubakar dropped the hint of the memorandum shortly after returning from the Czech Republic, following an invitation for the visit by that country’s Minister of Agriculture and Czech’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Governor observed that for agriculture which is one of the major employers of labour in Nigeria to provide alternative source of revenue, there is the need for farming to be practiced in the scientific way where mechanization will replace traditional methods.
A statement by the press secretary to the Governor, Abubakar Al-sadiquee lamented that farmers in Bauchi state like other Nigerian farmers rely on traditional farming which consumes lots of human energy and resources but with far less yields to the farmers.
“Because we now need to test the soil to determine its suitability for the cultivation of the crops we intend to cultivate to increase our yield per hectre, we must embrace the developments and innovations being brought to agriculture that come with researches in science and technology, which the Czech Republic so seriously engages in”.
It cited example with the Czech Republic where the yield per hectre for maize is about 40 tones while in Nigeria the highest is unfortunately about 5 tones”, according to the governor whose delegation was taken round modern farms to see how modern agriculture is practiced in that country.
“Under the memorandum of understanding, the Czech Republic is to support the agricultural sector in the state by providing especially small scale farmers with multi-purpose mini tractors and other farming implements at low costs that Bauchi farmers can easily afford”, the statement said.
It would be recalled that Governor Abubakar had at the inception of his administration visited the Czech Republic and thereafter a trade delegation from that country also visited Nigeria during which visit he had a meeting with the Czech delegation on investment potentials of the state in the areas of agriculture and tourism.
It was the result of that meeting which informed the Agriculture Minister and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs’ specific invitation to Bauchi state to see how the Czech Republic can help the state boost its agriculture through science and technology and use of modern agricultural implements produced in that country.