A total of 120 trainees, including 100 tractor operators and 20 maintenance technicians, have been trained under the ‘Entreprises Cantonales de Travaux Mécanisés’ (ECTM) programme, whose mission is to help increase the rate of mechanisation of farming operations.

This initiative, supported by FSRP TOGO, aims to equip farmers with the skills and tools they need to boost productivity and improve profitability.

Designed specifically for young people aspiring to become tractor operators with no previous experience, this training equips them with the essential skills to use cutting-edge agricultural technologies effectively and responsibly. Held from 28 March to 7 April 2024 at the Institut de formation agricole (Infa) in Tové, the training combined theory and practice, and focused on: (i) tractor knowledge and operation, (ii) mastery of manoeuvring and maintenance operations, and (iii) safety and operating rules. According to the trainers, these various aspects will help to turn these aspiring tractor operators into key players in innovation, entrepreneurship and the skilled labour needed to drive forward agricultural modernisation in Togo.

This activity is part of the partnership between the government of Togo and the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP Africa), set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development through an innovative training programme focusing on agricultural mechanisation.

Carried out by the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), the training is supported by the ministry’s technical departments, such as DAEMA and ICAT, to ensure successful implementation and maximum impact.

Through this training programme, FSRP is contributing to a more prosperous Togolese agriculture, where mechanisation plays a key role in achieving food self-sufficiency and sustainable economic growth.