Ekiti State government on Monday extended the distribution of free fertilisers to farmers in rural communities to boost food production and ensure food security in the state.
The exercise saw the successful distribution of 500 bags of 50kg fertilisers to beneficiaries drawn from different grassroots structures across communities in Ekiti State through the Bureau of Community Communications.
Speaking during the distribution, Director General, Bureau of Community Communications, Mary Omotosho, explained that the exercise is in continuation of the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s distribution of free fertilisers to farmers in the state.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the governor to promoting sustainable agricultural initiatives for economic growth, particularly at the grassroots adding that the initiative is to further enhance agricultural productivity and guarantee food security in the state.
Her words: “We are doing this to boost food security and food production, to appreciate the farmers and to ensure that every farmer across communities and grassroots structures that we have in the Bureau of Community Communications get to benefit from it.
“Prior to this day, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had distributed thousands of fertilisers to all farmers associations in Ekiti State. A lot of people thought it was because of the election.
“Usually, whenever we are having distributions like this, they allocate certain numbers to the Bureau of Community Communications. This is because the governor wants it to go deeper into the grassroots.
“The governor is aware not all Ekiti farmers belong to various established and known farmers associations across the state. The governor uses every avenue to reach out to the farmers.”
She urged the beneficiaries to make use of the fertilisers saying that “we saw the impact of the ones we distributed in the last planting season. You can see that the cost of food items has gone down.”
Speaking on behalf of non-indigenous ethnic groups, Oyigocho Otache, traditional leader of the Idoma community in Ekiti State and Mallam Audu Isa of Ebira community in the state commended the governor for extending support to non-indigenes saying that since inception of his administration, Governor Oyebanji has continually prioritised their welfare.
Also, Rufus Olu-Ajayi from Eda Oniyo community in Ilejemeje local government noted that the initiative will boost food sufficiency describing it as a landmark achievement.
