Ekiti State government has reiterated its resolve to shift attention from crude oil based federal allocation to an agricultural propelled economy to enhance sustainable development across board.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Olabode Adetoyi disclosed this at a meeting in his office, with executive members of Ajebamidele Market Yam Farmers Association, Odo Oro Ekiti in Ikole local government area
Dr Adetoyi who hinted that the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, was determined to promote all crops that have production advantage in the state, inclusive of yam and plantain, assured that the reactivation of the state yam conditioning centre at Ilasa Ekiti would soon be completed to promote yam storage.
The Commissioner stressed that the Ilasa Ekiti Yam storage facility could house about 40,000 tubers of yam, calling on the farmers to form registered cooperative societies and forward their membership lists and certificates to his office so that they could be captured for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA) loans for increased productivity.
While appealing to the leadership of the yam farmers association to conduct their activities peacefully among themselves, Dr Adetoyi advised them to have accurate data of trucks and lorries that load and take off from the Ajebamidele Market each market day, saying that the gesture would assist government to plan for the development of the area and its people.
In his contribution, the General Manager of the Directorate of Farm Settlements and Peasant Farmers Development, Mr Oludare Asaolu explained that the farmers have met with the immediate past Commissioner to discuss on how they could benefit from the series of government intervention in the agricultural sector, adding that their coming was aimed at intimating the Commissioner on their previous moves.
Earlier, the Chairman of the yam farmers association, Mr Sunday Ayomide said that it has been very difficult for his members to access BOA credit facility and other government support loans stressing that the only available support they have was funds from the microfinance banks with exorbitant interest rates of over 30%.
Mr Ayomide pointed out that the difficulties and other attendant challenges have been hindering members’ output in the area.
He appealed to the government to capture the association in it next round of support to Ekiti farmers.