By Agrobroadcast Team
Frustration is mounting among farmers in Plateau State as participants in a government-backed tractor scheme demand refunds after nearly a year and a half of delays and changes to agreed terms.
The affected farmers, who subscribed to the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) tractor initiative, say the programme has failed to deliver on its original agreement, prompting calls for a full refund of their contributions.
At the centre of the dispute is a shift in the type of tractors to be supplied. Farmers allege that after waiting 17 months, the agency is now offering a different brand Swaraj in place of the initially agreed Massey Ferguson or Preet tractors.
The scheme required a counterpart contribution of about ₦9 million per subscriber. Around 124 farmers reportedly enrolled, with varying payments ranging from ₦3 million to the full amount, often financed through loans.
Speaking at the PADP headquarters in Jos, the farmers’ spokesperson, Tapshak Mantu, described the situation as a breach of contract.
“We are here to demand a refund of the money we paid. Many of us took loans to participate in this programme and have been servicing interest for over a year without any benefit,” he said.
Mantu identified prolonged delays and the change in tractor specifications as the key reasons behind the demand. He noted that the newly proposed tractors may not be suitable for farming conditions in parts of the state.
“Seventeen months is too long. Some farmers have paid interest that exceeds the amount they borrowed. We are appealing to the government to refund our money so we can return to our farming activities,” he added.
Another subscriber, Denka Zatgak, said not all participants were members of the association through which the programme was introduced. He explained that while some beneficiaries mainly association members have reportedly received refunds, others who applied at the same time are still waiting.
“We submitted our refund applications as far back as April 2025, but many of us are yet to receive anything,” he said.
Also speaking, Henry Dabes, one of the affected participants, confirmed that three tractor brands were initially discussed Swaraj, Massey Ferguson, and Preet but expressed concern over the unfamiliar model now being proposed.
“The tractor they are bringing now is not what we agreed on. We don’t know its suitability or performance, especially for farming conditions in the southern part of the state,” he said.
Dabes added that the total cost of each tractor was estimated at about ₦21 million, with farmers expected to cover ₦9 million as counterpart funding, leaving a balance of ₦12 million.
In response, PADP Programme Manager, Ishaku Jilemsan, said efforts are ongoing to resolve the dispute and address the concerns raised by the farmers.