1.
Ekiti State Agric Commissioner, Hon. Peter
Kehinde Odebunmi with PS Engr. E.O Abegunde
|
The
Ekiti state government under the directive of Mr. Ayodele Peter Fayose has
approved 100 hectares of land to Nigeria Cassava Grower Association of Nigeria
(NCGA) for the plantation of cassava tubers towards the production of ethanol
just as the agric commissioner of the state also emphasized the need to curb
the nefarious activities of herdsmen who are intentionally destroying farms in
the state.
In
a letter of approval given to NCGA which was signed by the permanent secretary
of the Ekiti state ministry of agriculture and rural development, Engineer E. O
Abegunde stated that an approval has been given to ensure the release of six
thousand hectares of land to cultivate cassava for ethanol production by the
Executive Governor of the state, Mr. Peter Fayose.
Speaking
on the issue of agricultural development going, the commissioner of agriculture
said the state is doing all the best to ensure the proactiveness of agriculture
as business saying the partnership cassava arrangement with the NCGA is the
reflection of the strong belief of his Excellency in the using of the sector to
economically drive the state with youths and women employment creation.
The
agric and rural development commissioner, Hon. Peter Kehinde Odebunmi said that
the governor has approved the release of a massive land to cassava grower
association to assist in the production of sufficient tubers for ethanol
production for the substitution of fossil oil adding that government is very
ready to partner with any organized private agricultural organizations or
investors in the sector towards the creation of wealth and job for its
citizens.
Hon
Peter Odebunmi lamented on the
activities of the Fulani herdsmen towards the development of agriculture in the
state saying there was a reported cases where cassava tubers are being
harvested by cattle rearers to feed
flocks with evidence of a video recorder, pointed move is already going
on to curb such farm invasion in a very amicably ways.
Speaking
on the Federal Government National Agricultural NARI, the commissioner pointed
that the state has provided necessary logistic for its smooth running with
other stakeholders of Cellulant, FMAR and National Identity Management Card (NIMC).
On
cocoa production Hon. Odebunmi said that government has supported the farmers
with 100 million naira as ten thousand loan each for the purchase of agro
chemical inputs for the revitalization of pods that are already given to them for
multiplication adding that Ekiti processed rice is already added to Igbinmo
rice towards checkmating import and increasing local production to create jobs
and wealth for the people of the state.
Earlier
the National President, NCGA Pastor Segun Adewumi has said that the micro finance bank of the
association would soon take off where farmers like everyone in the world would
have access to agricultural loans adding
that production of ethanol through the use of cassava tubers across the states
starting with Ekiti was about to be commenced.
Pastor
Adewunmi who lamented on the high rate of youth and women unemployment said
that all other church leaders in the country should join in the race of using
agriculture to create employment for members and other citizen of the country
stressed doing this would help the country in many ways to combat
unrestiveness.
He
however commended the stance of President Mohammadu Buhari to ensuring the use
of agriculture to drive the economy of the country with emphasis on policy of
backwards integrations to checkmate import substitutions.
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