Farm Mechanization refers to the use of machinery/equipment (Crawler and Pneumatic tractors) in order to boost agricultural production, eliminate the stress (drudgery) associated with manual methods of farming, put more agricultural land to use, increase timeliness in agricultural operations, increase the income of farmers (and thus, the national G.D.P.) and boost the productivity of both the farmers and the land amongst other benefits. The State offers tractor hiring services through its Zonal Offices situated at Ikorodu, Badagry, Agege, Ajah, and Epe covering the five divisions of the State.
Lagos State has been offering farm mechanization services to farmers through the Tractor Hiring Units (THUs) since the creation of the State. However, with the increasing population, pressure on the resources available has negatively affected the ability of MOA to address intensive agriculture mechanization expansion needs to highly vulnerable smallholder farmers in Lagos, who largely depend on government hiring units for mechanization services.
Recent National security challengers has affected food supply sources to Lagos and also heightened the need for intensive agriculture in Lagos, as Nigeria’s urban city state with over 50,000 hectares of arable land; mechanization is the panacea to high cost of labour and the need to practice modern intensive agriculture, this will ultimately increase farmers income and farmland productivity.
The primary focus of farm mechanization is to introduce farmers to intensive and modern agriculture, address the problem of food security and increase agricultural productivity by putting more land to use, as well as, increase the economic contribution to the State through agricultural mechanization with emphasis on job and wealth creation and value chain development.
Statistics have shown that Nigeria is one of the least mechanized countries in Africa with about two – three (2 – 3) nos. Tractors to a thousand hectares of land i.e., 0.2Hp/ hectare which is far below the recommended standard of the Food and Agricultural Organization (F.A.O.) or 1.5Hp/hectare.
Based on the foregoing, the State is still far from meeting the provision of the minimum number of tractors needed in the State.
In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems (MOA) embarked on a Collaborative Tractor Ownership Scheme with the private sector tractor-assemly giant, OAW to drive a tractor-hailing scheme that matches demand with supply efficiently. This Scheme is to enable the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems expand tractors access to Lagos farmers. The Collaborative Platform which is Eko Agro Mechanization Scheme ensures that there is grassroot access to farm mechanization services to all farmers especially smallholder farmers via a cost-friendly approach.
20 brand new tractors, 12 ploughs, 12 harrows, 6 trailer backs, harvesters, and other equipments were procured for the use of Lagos farmers, to aid modern farming practices and enhance productivity.
50 yoiuth were also trained in tractor operations in collaboration with Tractor-On-The-Go (TOG), a tractor hailing technology company and the USAID.