The Taraba State Government has procured 120 agricultural and heavy-duty machines under the Taraba State Accelerated Agriculture and Rural Development Scheme (TAARDS) to boost mechanised farming and rural infrastructure development across the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Barr. Zainab Usman Jalingo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Jalingo.
According to her, the procurement is part of the agricultural transformation agenda of Governor Agbu Kefas aimed at increasing food production, enhancing rural development and supporting large-scale farming operations.
She listed the newly acquired equipment to include 30 tractors, 30 combined harvesters, 40 boom sprayers, five 30-tonnes tippers, five excavators, eight bulldozers and two pave loaders.
Jalingo said the machines would be deployed for land clearing, cultivation, harvesting, irrigation support, road construction and other agricultural activities across the state.
She added that the tractors and combined harvesters were expected to improve mechanised farming operations, while the boom sprayers would support modern crop management practices and increase farm yields.
According to her, the bulldozers, excavators, tippers and pave loaders will also play vital roles in rural infrastructure development and the opening up of agricultural corridors in different parts of the state.
The commissioner said the latest procurement further demonstrated the commitment of the Kefas administration to agriculture as a major driver of economic growth, food security and job creation in Taraba.
She noted that since the commencement of the TAARDS initiative, the state government had continued to invest in modern agricultural practices and rural development programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities.
