Gov Alia commissions 41 tractors, pushes Benue into a new era of mechanized farming

Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to usher Benue State into a new era of full-scale agricultural mechanization, starting with the dry-season farming programme scheduled for December 2025.

He made this known on Monday during an inspection of the Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanization, where he assessed progress at the state’s tractor and equipment assembly plant.

During the visit, the governor inspected 41 newly assembled tractors ranging from 25hp to 95hp, as well as an array of modern farm machinery, including combine harvesters, threshers, planters, fertilizer applicators, excavators, and yam mounders.

Governor Alia reiterated his commitment to sustaining the Public-Private Partnership with Mass International & Equipment Nigeria Limited (SABASPAC Int’l Ltd.), a tripartite initiative implemented by the Bureau for Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, led by Ms. Benita Shuluwa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The Agribusiness Mechanization Centre currently operates from the Bureau’s facility.

He disclosed that the partnership is already yielding results, with over 900 youths trained in tractor assembly and modern farming techniques.

The governor also toured demonstration farms within the complex, where smart seedlings of papaya, cocoa, rice, and oil palm are being showcased.

He instructed the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security to immediately map out all government-owned farmlands for planting and replanting improved varieties of oranges, mangoes, and key grains such as guinea corn, wheat, barley, and sorghum.

Governor Alia further encouraged farmers across the state to take advantage of the improved seedlings available at the Bureau, emphasizing that high-quality inputs remain vital to Benue’s agricultural transformation agenda.