The Nation Newspaper

Tag: mechanisation

  • Agriculture mechanisation a must, says expert

    There is a need to adopt agriculture mechanisation to enhance crop productivity to feed the growing population, Country Manager/CEO, Dizengoff Nigeria Mr. Antti Ritvonen,  has said.

    Speaking during a Farmers’ Field day held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Ritvonen said Nigeria can feed itself, Africa and other regions of the world, provided mechanisation is combined with knowledge-based best practices in modern agriculture.

    He noted that it was difficult for agriculture to develop, if it is not industrialised and mechanised.

    He said there was the need to train farmers on modern agriculture and efficient resource management.

    The  participants were  exposed to various innovations in agricultural mechanisation and technologies. These included greenhouse technology, drip irrigation, cost effective tractors, selective weed control chemicals and battery powered sprayer and irrigators.

    Special Adviser to the Kwara State governor on Agriculture & Rural Water Support Services, Anu Ibiwoye, said agriculture was top on the state’s agenda, adding that the goal is to move the   state from subsistence food production to commercial agriculture by exploring opportunities in cashew, shea butter nuts and cassava production.

    Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Simeon Opowoye, added that manual agriculture was ineffective, expensive, intensive and extensive, making it irrelevant in the modern age of food production, industrial raw materials requirements.

    Integrated Project Country Manager, Greenhouse unit of Dizengoff, Oscar Walumbe, said: “Greenhouses help to bridge the gap between weather extremes to stabilise vegetable production.”

    He advised farmers not to produce what they like but what the market demands, saying greenhouses help farmers to use less resources but get greater higher returns on investment.

  • ‘Mechanisation a must for Nigeria’

    ‘Mechanisation a must for Nigeria’

    The CEO/Country Manager for Dizengoff Nigeria, Mr. Antti Ritvonen, has said agricultural mechanisation needs to “leapfrog” to boost food production.

    Speaking  during the unveiling of  its various ranges of CASE IH brand of tractors in Abuja, Ritvonen observed that the level of agricultural mechanisation was one of the measures to gauge modernisation of production as well as competitiveness in the sector.

    Ritvonen further explained that “mechanisation plays an important role in addressing the issue of agricultural production as a nation, hence the need to support farmers with the right kinds of equipment that can take care of their farm needs and at different stages of their development”.

    He  said mechanisation would also address a labour shortage in agriculture, improve farmers’ income, and help protect the environment and people’s health.

    Ritvonen said: “A company, we are committed to ensuring that Nigeria as a nation becomes self-sufficient in food production and in the near future, become a major player in the exportation of quality and safe agricultural produces.”

    Business Director, Africa and Middle East (A&ME), CASE International, Mr. Marco Raimondo said innovation remains the centre of his company’s focus.

    “At CASE IH we are consistently renewing and expanding our product offering to meet the growing needs of farmers in Nigeria and the world-over.

    At CASE IH, we have the equipment to meet the farmer’s needs in Nigeria, by helping them raise their efficiency and production. Therefore, we are very excited about this collaboration with Dizengoff Nigeria,” Marco said.

    CASE IH has a wide range of tractors, covering from the 35-75hp JXT and the 80-88hp Farmall JXM at the smaller end, through the 110-140hp Farmall A models and right up to the 112-141hp Maxxum and 142-213hp Puma tractors, as well as up to 650hp.

     

  • ‘Mechanisation vital to agricbusiness’

    ‘Mechanisation vital to agricbusiness’

    To  boost agriculture, small farmers should embrace mechanisation, say experts. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Although agricultural mechanisation helps to improve productivity and profits of small-scale farmers, many are yet to embrace emerging farming technologies and machinery.

    Factors, such as the high cost of machines and farmers’ lack of access to finance, make the machinery unaffordable for resource-poor farmers.

    Despite these, some farmers are calling for a change. One of them is Debo Thomas, a large  scale  farmer in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. His community has a strong agricultural tradition – nearly two-thirds of its population are farmers.

    Though he uses agricultural machinery to plant and harvest crops, he is among those canvassing the introduction of cheap, easy-to-operate and easy-to-maintain tractors  that  can be fitted to a various innovative auxiliary equipment for planting, threshing and irrigation.

    According to him, tractors and other high tech machinery are often difficult to get in the  area.

    To achieve increased production, he  believes the governments, farmers, and policy makers should work together to make mechanisation a priority. If done well, he said mechanised agriculture will be a springboard to lift people out of poverty, relieve the burden of hunger for many, and increase the quality of life for the most vulnerable rural poor.

    For Country Manager of Dizengoff Nigeria, Mr. Antti Ritvonen, tractors increase farm efficiency and create greater prosperity for farmers.

    According to him, with quicker planting and harvesting and reduced harvest losses, the tractor allows farmers to plant and harvest more crops yearly.  He said it makes seeding and harvesting easier and more accurate, increasing yields.

    To this end, he  said tractors provided by his organisation are distributed in most part of the Southwest where farmers grow crops in large scale farms.

    The only challenge in the business is slow adoption of mechanised farming.To improve the situation, Dizengoff Nigeria announced an international partnership with CASE IH, a global leader in agricultural equipmentmanufacturing.

    Ritvonen  said: “We are very excited to be partnering Case IH in the area of providing quality tractors to Nigerian farmers, as we intend to improve farming substantially as well as revolutionise the agricultural sector through mechanisation.”

    Accoding to him, for Nigeria to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, farmers need to embrace mechanisation in their farming. He said many farmers in the country still depend on hand tools, such as hoes and cutlasses, which are time consuming, laborious and inefficient.

    He added: “We believe this partnership is very important to farmers, as it will impact positively on their production. We are committed to selling the most reliable and productive agricultural equipment solutions available.”

    Tractor and Implement Commercial Manager, Mr. Damisa Enahoro, said: “Without doubt, mechanisation is the solution every farmer will need to improve production and eliminate loss of time. Nigeria has the potential of becoming the food basket of Africa, and mechanisation is key to achieving it. This will invariably stimulate the overall economy of Nigeria.”

    Damisa explained that the deal would enable Dizengoff to get all its technicians and service team trained by CASE IH to provide a robust after-sales support to its customers.

    Case IH is a global player reputed for productive agricultural equipment and leadership, innovation and reliability, built since it was founded in 1842 in Racine, United States.

    Through the deal with CASE IH, Dizengoff sells and supports its range of tractors, including the JX and JXT Series of all- purpose machines.

  • Expert: Mechanisation key to increase food production

    Increased mechanisation of farms will enable Nigeria to build  a functional agriculture and food system capable of addressing  malnutrition and lifting  millions out of poverty, the Commercial Manager, Tractor & Implements, Dizengoff Nigeria, Damisa Enahoro, has said.

    At present, agricultural mechanisation in the country stands at less than 30 per cent, a position lower than that of most of the leading agricultural countries.

    Enahoro observed that there was significant disparity in relative productivity and performance across the farming sector. This, he attributed, to inconsistent levels of mechanisation.

    According to him, agricultural mechanisation can make a real difference and create opportunities for economic growth in rural areas.

    To this end, Dizengoff Nigeria is on a nationwide campaign to promote agricultural mechanisation to improve the country’s agricultural productivity.

    Accompanying this drive is intense personnel training on agricultural mechanisation.

    He said use of machines would increase agricultural productivity and enhance quality along the value chain, demanding that farmers will be trained on the use of equipment which would help modernise the agriculture sector.

    He said agribusiness companies have great potential to provide solutions through the adoption of technologies and practices and make better use of machines.

    As science and technology change the face of agriculture, he maintained that his organisation is in the vanguard of agricultural technologies, pioneering new approaches to food and farming systems.

    Enahoro said: “Dizengoff, through its Massey Ferguson brand of tractors, is committed to providing high-quality machinery and appropriate technology to suit all types of farming operations in Nigeria.”

    He  further assured farmers: ‘’Dizengoff is truly a full-line supplier of farm equipment, providing solutions to farmers no matter what their farm size or type of operation is.”

  • Investment in mechanisation crucial to agricultural development, says expert

    How can agriculture productivity be enhanced?

    It is by increased investment in mechanisation,says the Execuive Director, Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation, Mr Ike Azogu.

    He spoke during the commissioning of newly completed projects and equipment in Ilorin,Kwara State.

    Azogu said improving on the use of agric mechanies is important as the sector has all of the necessary preconditions for contributing to a sufficient and sustainable food supply.

    Azogu said the centre is ready to initiate and institute programmes that will empower the existing farmers on how to improve their current levels of production and productivity.

    He said the farm sector needs support for increased land productivity and that appropriate mechanisation must be part of an agricultural growth strategy.

    He added that agricul-tural sector’s potential in rural develop-ment lies in increasing productivity through appropriate modernization ofthe production techniques, and mechanised systems to make them operational and profitable.

    To help the tractor programme of the government, the Executive Director said the centre has set up a tractortest track,the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Tractors ,brought into the country will be tested to ensure sub standard products are not sold to farmers.

    He said the centre is promoting sawah based rice farming,which has the potential of stimulating the long awaited green revolution. Sawah refers to man-made improved rice fields with demarcated bounded, puddle and leveled rice fields with water inlets and outlets, which can be connected to various irrigation facilities such as irrigation canals, ponds, springs or pumps.

    Azogu said the Sawah rice eco technology is in colloboration with Kinki University of technology,Japan. It was instituted in NCAM.

    He said the technique would leads to high yields and sustainable production irrespective of fertiliser use.

    Azogu said the rice production system ensures the attainment of rice self sufficiency within the shortest possible period.

    He said yields between 6-4 to 7-2 tonnes per hectare have been achieved in farmers fields.

    Azogu said the technology will support farmers to cultivate more rice annually.

    He said farmers have become successful by adopting the Sawah technology and stressed that based on the success of the project, the centre is extending it to other parts of the country.

    According to him, since the introduction of the Sawah technology, there has been lots of improvement in the lives of rice farmers.

    The NCAM boss therefore appealed to the government to support the project to make it acceptable to all farmers.

    He said the institute is currently is working with the Jatropha Farmers Association in the development of jatropha bio diesel, which is stimulating global renewable energy interest .

    According to him ,the institute has recorded modest achievement by designing and producing a bio diesel stove.”We have also developed a Jatropha sheller, oil press and filter.This project must be properly funded as it is the farmers fuel hope for the future.”