Food security: Maize farmers acquire combine harvest to enhance production

Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) has purchased combine harvesters and mini harvesters in order to ease the stress of harvest, save time and boost maize production in the country.

Speaking at the official flag-off of the 2021 harvest and commissioning of the harvesters in Taraba State, the National President of the Association, Dr Bello Abubakar, said the move is in line with the Association’s effort to improve its mechanisation system.

While explaining how the machines were acquired, Dr Abubakar said the association partnered with Origin group Automobile to provide 15 combine harvesters and 32 mini harvesters to the association in form of a loan.

“In our efforts to enhance our mechanisation system, we collaborated and partnered with Origin Group Nigeria to supply the association with combine harvesters and mini harvesters.”

“MAAN decided to purchase 15 units of combine harvester and 32 units of mini harvesters in form of a loan, the group would provide the harvesters to MAAN, MAAN would pay 30 per cent initial deposit, after harvest another 30%, after dry season farming, 20 per cent would be paid while the remaining 20 per cent would be paid after next year wet season,” he said.

On boosting maize harvest in the country he said the combine harvesters have the capacity to harvest 50 to 100 hectares of farm per day, a development he said the maize farmers are happy about as they would have needed to employ at least 50 people to harvest on the farm.

Dr Abubakar said the harvesters would be first deployed to about 12 states with the largest hectares and subsequently to other states across the country.

He said the association appreciates the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Director of Development Finance and their staff for supporting farmers in Nigeria with soft loans through the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) which has changed the narration of the farming system in Nigeria with the introduction of new technologies and mechanised farming system while applauding the efforts and support of the Chairman and members of Taraba state chapter of MAAN.

Dr Abubakar also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for transforming the lives of peasant farmers by introducing the Programme.

Present at the commissioning ceremony were the representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Representative of the Unity Bank, the Emir of Mutum Biyu led by the district head of Jauro Manu village in Taraba state and MAAN officials in the North-East region.

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Food security: Maize farmers acquire combine harvest to enhance production