Ethnol : Ekiti state partners NCGA for production- *agric commissioner cautions Fulani herdsmen *

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.