Nigeria has only 50,000 tractors for over millions of smallholder farmers

Alvaro Lario , IFAD President

Report released by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)  revealed that Nigeria has only 50,000 tractors for over millions of smallholder farmers.

Also the organization said that today’s global challenges—like climate change, conflict and COVID-19—require a global response.

They explained that the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is a crucial element of perspectives from the Global South to development approaches and promoting solutions that address the specific needs of developing countries.

In the report, IFAD has long been an advocate of SSTC, drawing on its expertise and its network of partners to mobilize solutions that broaden the impact on the ground and build synergies to scale-up results that benefit the poorest rural people.

They added that the mismatch between supply and demand of tractor services increases transaction costs and the time and distance involved in connecting smallholder farmers to tractor services.

According to the report, in sub-Saharan Africa, which included Nigeria, high costs limit the use of machinery by smallholder farmers.

They said App known as Hello Tractor that connects tractor owners and smallholder farmers was developed in Kenya discovered that since 2017, over 250,000 smallholders across Africa have benefited from the service.

“Many food producers in Africa preserve food by drying it in the sun. However, gauging when products are dry enough is a challenge, sometimes resulting in contaminated products which add to already high post-harvest losses. Using an indicator strip, Dry Card allows farmers to quickly and easily determine whether a product is dry enough to store,” it stated.

On SELF Microfinance fund, the report revealed that four in five Tanzanians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, yet they are underserved by financial providers.

“When farmers harvest their crops at the same time, the market becomes flooded, leaving them with little option but to sell their produce at low prices. This keeps farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty, unable to invest in improved technology, seeds and fertilizers.

“The SELF Microfinance fund releases loan fund installments throughout the year to cover production activities and meet household obligations. At harvest time, farmers deposit their produce in warehouses which can be used as collateral when taking loans. Meanwhile, the produce is stored appropriately and sold when prices are favourable.

“These solutions are just a glimpse of what SSTC can achieve. Realising its full potential requires stepping up efforts to identify and mobilize resources for their use and dissemination. IFAD’s on-going SSTC partnerships are geared towards achieving this, and we look to build new and innovative collaborations,” it stated.

“They are in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), IFAD’s Rural Solutions Portal documents and promote rural innovations across Africa and Asia.  Since 2018, more than 40 rural successes have been featured—covering challenges such as climate change, rural finance and food insecurity—while increasing the visibility of SSTC,” it also stated.