Plateau farmers who subscribed to the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) tractor initiative are demanding refunds, citing a breach of contract by the agency.
The farmers raised concerns that after a 17-month delay, PADP plans to supply Swaraj tractors instead of the Massey Ferguson or Preet brands initially promised.
According to reports, farmers contributed 9 million naira each as counterpart funding, with some paying in full while others paid in installments of 3 to 5 million naira.
Speaking at PADP headquarters in Jos, the spokesperson for the affected farmers, Mr. Tapshak Mantu, said, “We are here to seek a refund of the money we paid due to what I would describe as a breach of contract. Some people took loans to raise this money and have been paying interest since then. Seventeen months is a long time, and the tractors they now want to supply will not serve our needs.”
Mantu explained that the long delay and change in tractor brand were the main reasons for the refund demand. “We are farmers. We are not rich. Some of us spent years farming to raise this amount. We need the money back so we can continue with our activities,” he added.
Mr. Denka Zatgak, another subscriber, noted that some participants were not registered members of the association initially involved.
“PADP contacted the association, and we joined the program through them. Later, the association withdrew from the program, and refunds were issued mostly to their members. But many of us, who also submitted refund applications last year, have not received anything,” he said.
Community health pharmacist and subscriber, Pharm. Henry Dabes, confirmed that three brands were mentioned during enrollment—Swaraj, Massey Ferguson, and Preet—but many chose Swaraj and Massey Ferguson.
“The brand PADP now wants to supply is unfamiliar. Even though they claim it is of higher quality, it does not meet our needs, especially in the southern zones of the state,” Dabes stated.
He added that with the tractor valued at 21 million naira, farmers still face a balance of 12 million naira after subtracting their counterpart funding.
Meanwhile, PADP Programme Manager, Mr. Ishaku Jilemsan, assured that efforts are ongoing to resolve the dispute between the agency and the affected farmers.
