Dr. Yomi Kasali, Executive Director, National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), has canvassed subsidies for agricultural tools and machinery to boost local production of rice in Nigeria. Kasali also said that the Federal Government should protect local agricultural fabricators, designers and engineers against foreign multi-nationals for growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He spoke in Ilorin during a special skill acquisition and empowerment training for youths in fabrication of agro-processing machines.

He said: ‘’To increase accessibility and affordability of these equipment to farmers, government needs to subsidize agro-machineries, as it is done in the general input subsidy, such as seed and herbicide, among others, to make them affordable for farmers. Farmers should also be organised into cooperative groups to share capital and risk.” Guardian