The Enugu State Government says it is intensifying efforts to acquire and deploy 1,000 tractors across the state as part of Governor Peter Mbah’s plan to fully mechanise agriculture and transform the sector into a major revenue-generating industry.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Patrick Nwabueze Ubru, disclosed this during a facility tour of the Nortra Tractor Assembly Plant and Service Centre by members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Enugu State Council.
Ubru said the mechanisation hub, established in partnership with investors from Denmark, had been positioned to support the state’s agricultural transformation agenda.
According to him, Enugu State had already acquired 150 tractors, compared with the handful of tractors available before the present administration, while 67 tractors have been deployed to farms across the state.
The commissioner said the government remained committed to achieving the 1,000-tractor target, adding that the assembly plant currently had a warehouse stocked with completely knocked down tractor components ready for assembly.
“We can assemble 10 tractors a day and there’s room for expansion,” Ubru said.
He described the facility as a game changer for agriculture in Enugu, noting that the project would also produce and supply farm implements including disc ploughs, harrows, planters and harvesters.
Ubru disclosed that the mechanisation project was expected to create more than 3,000 jobs, particularly for young people who would be engaged in tractor assembly, operation, servicing and maintenance.
He added that tractors were being leased to farmers at N70,000 per day, significantly below the previous rate of about N150,000, as part of efforts to make mechanised farming more affordable and accessible.
The commissioner said the initiative would enable farmers to expand their operations, improve productivity and contribute to the state’s food production and economic growth.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Nortra Tractor Assembly, Morten Andersen, said the company had the capacity and technical readiness to support the state in achieving its mechanisation objectives.
The facility also houses a service and repair centre and a training institute designed to equip local technicians with skills in modern agricultural machinery.
The state government expects the mechanisation programme to support its commercial agriculture initiatives and farm estates while strengthening tractor leasing schemes for farmers.
The initiative forms part of Governor Mbah’s broader plan to position agribusiness as a major driver of Enugu’s economy, with the state targeting significant growth in agricultural revenue and food production.
