We Need More Tractors To serve Local Farmers

Just barely a month ago, a peace conference was organized by Christian Faith Ministries and one of the items discussed during the conference was ‘farming and peace’. The conference was a deliberate effort to encourage mutual understanding among farmers within our communities and also improve or boost agricultural activities in Nigeria thus leaving no room for food crises.

Looking at the statistics, Nigeria or the entire Africa has a notable percentage of farmers in her populations that are responsible for food production across the continent.

But currently, there are security challenges on ground that have cut down food production. If measures are not taken, the entire continent will be plunged into a food crisis. Many local farmers in Nigeria have been displaced from their settlements and their farms destroyed by prevalent criminal activities.

Governments, cooperate bodies or individuals have to be sensitized to invest in agriculture to eliminate the pending hunger pandemic or cloud hovering over the entire world. The rate at which foodstuff prices are on the increase indicates the impact of food shortages or reduced farming activities due to so many factors, which include the high cost of mechanized farming. If nothing is done to curb it, this will render many homes desperate and this can result in the increase of many other social ills.

In response to this, Christian Faith Ministries has been playing a significant role in farming and peace. One of the major challenges farmers have is the high cost of mechanized farm tools. In this regard, Christian Faith Ministries has procured fairly used tractors to help farmers cultivated their land at an affordable price. These low prices are to encourage farmers to go into mass production. The small money taken from farmers that want to hire these tractors is for repairs and workers’ wages.

CFM management has been approached by other tractor hiring bodies to increase the price of tractor hiring to enable them to make more money. But looking at CFM’s vision,  CFM objected to this rise because the vision is to help poor farmers to have access to mechanized farming and thus boost food production within the community. When poor farmers are involved, it does not just boost agricultural activities but relationships, building a bridge that enables us to serve each other. This also eliminates the barrier between the high class and poor or local farmers, thus making us one and encouraging unity within the community. Where there is unity and mutual understanding, conflicts do not thrive.

Christian Faith Ministries will do more if more healthy tractors are given to the ministry. Currently, CFM's three tractors are weak and often down due to the number of years spent. And with low prices attached to it, so many farmers are coming to hire it out for their farming activities. In many cases not all tractors may be healthy to work. Demand is high compared to the supply or strength of these tractors.

Two tractors under the shade for maintenance 

While speaking with one of the staff, he said “If more tractors can be made available, much will be done because many farmers are not only happy with prices but also with the quality of work done. But sometimes only one out of these tractors may be fit to work and it is a major challenge. We are praying for more tractors to serve more farmers. We have been approached by other tractor hiring bodies to increase our hiring fee but we reject it because the ministry is for the service of the community and not for gain. This makes farmers happy”.