Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, launched the distribution of subsidised mini tractors to farmers’ cooperatives across the state as part of his administration’s drive to boost mechanised farming.
The initiative, part of the governor’s People-First Agricultural Transformation Agenda, is aimed at accelerating the state’s transition to full-scale mechanised farming and empowering rural communities.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development headquarters in Calabar at the weekend, Governor Otu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making agriculture the cornerstone of Cross River’s economic development.
“When we assumed office, we made a firm commitment to make agriculture the backbone of our development strategy,” he said.
“From engagements with farmers across our local government areas, one message stood out—the challenge of land preparation, which accounts for over 70 percent of cultivation costs. This programme directly addresses that problem.”
Otu explained that the mini tractors, which are fuel-efficient, terrain-adaptable, and multifunctional, are designed to ease land preparation, reduce labour costs, and boost productivity.
A total of 108 units are being rolled out in the first phase, with 324 tractors expected to be deployed statewide.
The tractors will be managed under a cooperative model, enabling beneficiary groups to operate as community-based service providers.
This approach, Otu said, ensures shared ownership, responsible management, and wider access to mechanisation at the grassroots.
“We are unlocking the full potential of our agricultural landscape so that our farmers can farm more, earn more, and feed more,” the governor stated.
Otu also highlighted other flagship agricultural programmes, including the Cassava Seed Multiplication Project, the Project Grow maize and soybean scheme in partnership with Flour Mills Plc, and a pilot phase of commercial sorghum production with Champion Breweries.
He mentioned the ongoing distribution of improved cowpea seeds, fertilisers, and farm implements to smallholder farmers, as well as plans to establish new cocoa and coffee estates through public-private partnerships.
“This tractor distribution is not just another intervention,” he stressed. “It is a tangible expression of our People-First Agricultural Transformation Agenda anchored on mechanisation, value-chain development, and inclusive growth.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Bespoke Concepts Limited, Mr. Femi Odeleye, whose company supplied the tractors, hailed the project as “the planting of seeds for a new agricultural revolution in Cross River State.”
“By distributing these tractors, His Excellency is not just distributing machines; he is empowering communities and transforming livelihoods,” Odeleye said, adding that plans were underway to establish a tractor assembly plant in Calabar that could create over 2,000 jobs.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Cross River State Chapter, Rev. Ojikpong Bisong, likened Governor Otu’s agricultural drive to the legacy of Dr. Michael Okpara, the late Premier of Eastern Nigeria.
“Your Excellency, Cross River State under your leadership has taken the place of the late Dr. Michael Okpara of Eastern Nigeria,” Bisong said. “The legacy he left that still speaks generations after him, you have now laid in Cross River State.”
