Hello Tractor…Innovative low cost Smart Tractor.

Small-holder farmers in Nigeria rely on manual labour for their farming activities and this labour which is usually in short supply often leads to under-cultivation, poor harvests and low income. Also the low level of tractor hiring services in Nigeria limits their ability to expand cultivated areas, perform timely farm operations and achieve economy of scale in increasing food production.

To cultivate the 84 million arable land in Nigeria, Nigeria needs at least 1 million units of tractors but currently has less than 30,000 tractors with a little above half functional.  

Hello Tractor, an American technology company that provides two-wheel tractors to small farmers in Africa aims to help farmers increase crop yield and combat against income and food insecurity. The company chose to start in Nigeria due to the country's high demand for tractors and the sheer number of small farmers who suffer from crippling poverty and poor crop yields.

The company developed a low-cost tractor equipped with various attachments used for irrigation, ploughing, fer­til­izer dis­tri­bu­tion, and other tasks, tailoring it to specific crops and stages of the production cycle. The company's tractors are equipped with a Global Position System (GPS) antenna which connect the Smart Tractors to cloud-based software enabling Hello Tractor to track usage and gather data on location, market trends, and uptake. Additionally, Hello Tractor has developed an SMS booking and payment system where farmers can request, schedule, and prepay for tractor services from nearby smart tractor owners.

The Smart tractor is reliable, affordable and versatile with six attachments to serve the farmers through-out the whole farm production cycle. Hello tractor supports all Smart tractor owners with on-site maintenance and repairs. And for credit-constrained buyers, hello tractor has designed a loan program to ensure their needs are met as well.

 

 
 

 

What makes the tractors smart?

Reliable: 15hp, two-wheel power tiller suitable for a variety of soil conditions. Highly durable with a useful life of over 15 years when properly cared for.

Manoeuvrable: Designed specifically for small plots, the Smart tractor is able to reach areas on small farmlands that larger tractors cant, helping farmers to maximize their production.

Versatile: The Smart Tractor comes with attachments making it a valuable asset to the owner throughout the season.

Unique technology: Each Smart tractor comes with a GPS antenna that keeps track of the tractor’s movement, production and maintenance needs. So when the tractor has been used enough to need maintenance, Hello Tractor will alert the owner. In addition, the device enables owners to receive text from farmers requesting tractor service via SMS booking platform. The monitoring device also coms as a standalone product.

Affordable: The tractor is cheap and can be purchased by a farmer or co-operative of farmers. The Smart tractor with all the attachments cost about N2,300,000 (depending on exchange rate).

Apply for a loan

Hello Tractor provides low-interest loans to support Smart Tractor buyers. The loan requires only 10% deposit and includes a repayment schedule of 1-3 years. To apply for a loan, submit the name of your farmer cooperative or agro-enterprise to aissa@hellotractor.com

For more information on the SMART Tractor, contact Aissa on 08178620309 or visit www.hellotractor.com.