Farmers in Plateau State who subscribed to a tractor acquisition programme under the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) have demanded a refund of millions of naira paid into the scheme, citing a 17-month delay and a change in the brand of tractors initially promised.
The affected farmers, who addressed journalists on Monday, said the tractors being offered now were different from those stated in the original agreement and would not meet their farming needs.
Speaking on behalf of the group, their spokesperson, Mr. Tapshak Mantu, said the farmers paid between ₦3 million and ₦9 million each as counterpart funding for tractors expected to cost about ₦21 million.
According to him, the farmers paid the money directly into the PADP account but have been unable to access either the tractors or refunds despite repeated requests.
“We are here as farmers who subscribed for tractors through PADP. We are here to seek a refund of the money we paid because what has happened is a breach of contract
“The brand of tractors they initially told us they would supply is not the brand they are now bringing. Because of the long delay and everything that has happened, the tractors they want to bring now will not serve our needs,”Mantu said.
Mantu explained that the farmers initially opted for well-known brands such as Massey Ferguson and Swaraj due to the availability of spare parts and technical support.
He said unfamiliar tractor brands could create serious operational challenges during the farming season, particularly if faults develop and replacement parts are difficult to obtain.
“If you lose even two days during the farming season, it can feel like losing the entire season. I once used an unpopular tractor brand and when it broke down I had to travel to Kaduna, Kano and even Lagos looking for spare parts,” he said.
The farmers also lamented that many of them obtained loans to raise the money required for the programme and have been paying interest for more than a year without receiving the tractors.
“Some people paid ₦9 million, some ₦5 million and others ₦4 million. Seventeen months is a long time. Some people have already paid interest that is more than what they borrowed”
He added that the financial strain had affected many of the farmers, noting that some had suffered serious setbacks while trying to resolve the issue.
“There have been serious losses. Some people had accidents while travelling in the process of pursuing this matter. Two people broke their arms, someone reportedly had a stroke, and we even heard that two people were imprisoned because of loans they took to raise the money,” he said.
Another subscriber, Mr. Denka Zatgak, said some of the farmers applied for refunds as far back as April 22, 2025, but had yet to receive their money.He explained that many farmers joined the programme after being informed by an association that it would benefit them.
According to him, some members of the association later withdrew from the scheme and reportedly received refunds, while other subscribers were still waiting.
“Out of those whose money was refunded, most of them were members of the association. But for us, we applied for a refund at the same time and our money has not been returned,” Zatgak noted.
He also alleged that some farmers were being persuaded to remain in the programme under new conditions, including registering as tractor owners even without receiving tractors.
A community health pharmacist and subscriber, Pharm. Henry Dabes, said most of the farmers initially chose well-known tractor brands because they were widely used and easier to maintain.
“There were three brands mentioned at the beginning – Swaraj, Massey Ferguson and Preet – and most people selected Swaraj or Massey Ferguson,” he said.
“But the one they are bringing now is not something we know. We have never seen it before. If it was something we were familiar with, maybe people would accept it.”
Dabes said most of the subscribers now preferred to have their money refunded rather than accept tractors they were not confident using.
“As things stand now, the majority of the people here want a refund of their money, including myself, because of how the process has turned out,” he added.
The farmers are therefore appealing to the Plateau State Government to intervene and facilitate the refund so they can return to their farming activities.
Meanwhile, the PADP Programme Manager, Mr. Ishaku Jilemsan, said efforts were ongoing to resolve the dispute between the agency and the farmers.
He noted that the programme initially recorded about 124 subscribers, although not all paid the full counterpart funding of ₦9 million.
