Ekiti Sets To Boost Rice Production


Continued importation of rice by Nigeria has been identified as capable of getting farmers and others out of job and creating jobs for exporting countries  such as the USA, Thailand and India at the expense of Nigerians.
 
This was highlighted at a press briefing  by the Ekiti state Commissioner For Agriculture and Food Security, Prince Olabode Adetoyi  to commemorate the inauguration of the state’s Pyramid Project and commencement of the 2021 Wet Season Rice Cultivation. 
 
Prince Adetoyi stressed the readiness of the state government to ensure that agriculture is a sustainable alternative to wealth creation and food security. To this end, he explained that measures such as opening up  and  allocation of lands to investors, farmer groups,  facilitating financial support to farmers to boost production among others have been put in place to engender food sufficiency.
 
The agriculture commissioner remarked that such measures have impacted positively since the first tenure of governor Kayode Fayemi between 2010 and 2014, and  the vision has been sustained on assumption of office in 2018, and to promote consumption  of locally grown rice, the state partners  the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) for massive production of the commodity. According to him, ” the state has assisted various rice mills in the state to improve and increase their processing capacities and quality”.
 
He described rice as a popular food and an important crop in Nigeria as well as one of the most celebrated diets of Nigerians, while pushing Nigeria to the fore as the largest producer and consumer of rice in the African continent, and the second importer of rice after China as at 2019.
 
On foreign exchange accruals, Prince Adetoyi pointed out that mass production of rice to meet domestic consumption and export will reduce  over dependence on crude oil as foreign exchange earning,  and complement other earnings to the country. 

The program is slated for 9am at the Ekiti Parapo Pavillion along New Iyin Road Ado Ekiti Ekiti

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