By Tony Edike
ENUGU –  THE Enugu State government’s drive to boost its agricultural fortunes through mechanized farming got a massive push at the weekend with the arrival of a first batch of 27 brand new multi-purpose tractors.

Receiving the tractors at the old Government Lodge Enugu, Governor Sullivan Chime described their arrival as a major leap in the‘’ silent revolution’’ that has been going on in the agricultural sector in the state adding that it marked a new era in government’s efforts to end large scale manual farming in the state and make it a leader in the Agricultural sector.

He disclosed that the government had prepared the grounds for the immediate deployment of the tractors with the establishment of two world class farm settlements in Adani and Heneke in Uzo Uwani and Ezeagu local government areas respectively adding that the settlements and others were capable of supplying all of the state’s agricultural needs in grains, vegetables and tubers and creating over 3,000 new jobs each year.

He said, “Our dream of turning Enugu State into an agricultural paradise and making agriculture the pillar of its economy has taken root. We already have two world class farm settlements capable of supplying all our needs in Agriculture and creating jobs for our teeming youths.

Our multi-purpose, 4-wheel drive tractors have now started arriving and we are confident that very soon that those trucks which normally bring farm produce to Enugu state from other parts of the country will soon be heading in the opposite direction”.

The Governor disclosed that the tractors which were procured with the assistance of the Songhai Agricultural Institute, Benin Republic, will also be made available to each of the 17 local government councils in the state stressing however that their performance and maintenance issues will be strictly monitored to ensure maximum productivity and sustenance.

Also speaking, the Director of the Songhai Institute, Rev. Father Geoffrey Nzeamujo put the cost of the tractors at N79 million adding that they constituted the first batch of a series that would keep arriving until the state’s needs in mechanized farming were met.

He disclosed that the tractors were designed to perform all sorts of functions and work under all conditions and in all terrains round the year adding that they would be principally deployed in the area of production of staple foods such as rice, maize, yam and cassava.

Father Nzeamujo noted that his institute had trained over 200 Enugu graduates to work in the farm settlements and the local government areas adding that their output will be greatly enhanced with the arrival of the tractors.