Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has asked Thailand’s government for support in enhancing Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
He made the request through an aide, Abraham Akanle, at an agriculture machinery exhibition organised by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) of the Ministry of Commerce, held at Kasetsart University, Thailand.
Obasanjo also hinted that the present administration was planning to introduce 2000 tractors to boost mechanised farming across the country.Nigeria’s agricultural sector requires international support in its programmes and initiatives such as the cattle breeding improvement, climate change, standardization and certification of food products, seed development and improvement, capacity building, among others.
As I am made to understand, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in Nigeria is working vigorously to commercialise and mechanise Nigeria’s agriculture by introducing about 2,000 units of tractors and various kinds of harvesting and processing equipment to mechanise our farming, while also building Nigerian local content and capacity to sustain and advance mechanisation to suit best practices worldwide.
Nigeria’s population which would grow up to 200 million people by the year 2020 could also be an advantage for international partners to tap in,” he said.
The former president also urged other countries to partner with the Federal Government in order to ensure increased local production of food crops in the country.