EKCIMA urges Ekiti farmers to embrace Buhari’s agribusiness policy

Considering the agrarian states of Ekiti state among the comity of states in the Southwest, the Ekiti State Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (EKCIMA) and E-11, a social-cultural group in the state, have urged farmers in Ekiti to embrace agribusiness policy of President Muhammadu Buhari for economic prosperity.

The Chairman of E-11 Elite Group, Kola Akosile, who also doubles as the President of Ekiti State Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture noted that farmers in the State should avail themselves of the various opportunities available in the agriculture sector to boost food production and reduce poverty.

As the 2018 governorship poll gathers momentum,  the body also begged the political parties and their leaders to ensure that they eschew violence and other anti-social behaviour to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the State.

READ ALSO : Ekiti to reactivate yam conditioning centre

This call was made at the group’s general meeting held in  Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, where it appealed to Governor Ayodele Fayose to initiate and implement policies that will empower the citizens, particularly in the area of agriculture.

“Ekiti State is agrarian in nature and farming is our business, where we  have comparative advantage. We have to expand the scope of farming in Ekiti by embracing commercial agriculture,  so that the efforts of the founding fathers who fought for the creation of the state would not be in vain.

“If we embrace the FG’s yam exportation policy, Ekiti will be better for it. Aside from Benue State, Ekiti takes the lead in yam production. Poverty is on the increase and it was becoming alarmingly, with farming, this can be reduced to the barest minimal”, they said.

READ ALSO: Five things to impact farmers’ productivity in 2020

The group prevailed on his members, who are achievers in their various fields to extend assistance to unemployed youths in the state to prevent them from  being used as political thugs by unconscionable  politicians.

E-11 spurred interested  members to contest for  political offices in their various constituencies, to prevent mediocre from taking over the state’s  political space.

“As much as we want our members to contest, we plead that this must  however be done peacefully without any recourse to acts that could jeopardize the peace of the State”.

The body expressed heartfelt sympathy with those whose buildings were ravaged by flooding in some parts of Ekiti in recent time.

RAPHAEL ADEYANJU, Ado Ekiti