Empowering tractor owners with information will reduce cost – IFPRI


The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has recommended that providing information of typical business characteristics in tractor markets, especially on informal tractor ownership and trade, can reduce learning costs for new-business entrants and facilitate the private-sector growth in tractor markets.

The IFPRI Senior Research Fellow, Dr Hiroyuki Takeshima, stated this recently while delivering a policy research seminar to 25 directors of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) at the minister’s conference room in Abuja as part of commitment towards disseminating evidence needed for sound policy making and increasing the ability of Nigeria’s government to demand and absorb information relevant to agricultural policy.

Present at this seminar, was Dr Aisha Ndyako-Mohammed who is the Head of the Projects Coordinating Unit (PCU) at FMARD along with Assistant Directors of the various divisions within FMARD.

In the two-hour seminar, Dr Takeshima presented the key findings of three studies carried out between 2016 and 2018 in Nigeria within the framework of the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project

He said Increasing plant-breeding locations can raise overall agricultural productivity cost-effectively, and is a good way to increase support for agricultural R&D in Nigeria;

Takeshima said large irrigation dams have spillover effects which are extending beyond command areas and across hydrological basins, especially benefiting down-stream basins by shielding farmers from the effects of droughts;

He explained further that tractor-owners in the informal sector exhibit significant efficiency and skills in tractor use, which should be studied and transferred to tractor owners in the formal sector (those receiving government tractors).

Adding that used-tractor sellers, again in the informal sector, complement new-tractor sellers in the formal sector by matching geographically scattered supply and demand for tractors.

The seminar is part of activities under the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Nigeria) and jointly implemented by Michigan State University and IFPRI’s Nigeria Strategy Support Program.

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