NDDC to procure tractors for mechanised farming in Niger Delta – official

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) plans to acquire tractors and other modern farming equipment to enhance its agriculture initiatives in the Niger Delta, an official has said.

Mr Victor Antai, the commission’s Executive Director, Projects, revealed this while inspecting farming equipment produced by Bobtrack Limited, in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

He emphasised that investing in agriculture would help the Niger Delta maximise its agricultural potential with traditional farming methods upgraded to mechanised methods.

“NDDC is looking at procuring various farming equipment to incorporate them into the Holistic Opportunities, Projects and Engagement (HOPE) programme, which focuses on agriculture as a key component.

“The Project HOPE initiative seeks to create employment opportunities and we have already collated data on youths, many of whom are interested in agriculture.

“NDDC is committed to ensuring food security in the Niger Delta; we want to engage youths in agriculture to achieve our food security objective,” he explained.

Antai expressed satisfaction with the quality of the tractors and other farming tools, noting that the tools would boost the current efforts to shore up mechanised farming in the region.

The Managing Director of Bobtrack Limited, Ibifiri Bob-Manuel, in a remark, stated that the country could achieve sufficiency in food supplies through investments in mechanised farming, moving away from traditional practices.

He added that the company’s tractors were specifically tailored for farming in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta