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Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The government of Ekiti State is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts at reviving agriculture which used to be the mainstay of the economy of the state before it was hijacked by the discovery of oil in the country. With the Fayemi-led administration, measures are in top gear to ensure that the State flourishes agriculturally as well as engage in healthy competition with other states in its comparative advantage.
Blessed with favorable weather and agrarian land, Ekiti State is a home to so many agricultural produce : Cocoa, oil palm, kolanut, plantain, banana, cashew, water melon, citrus, timber, rice, yam, cassava, cocoyam, maize, cowpea and so many others. Before the discovery of oil, Ekiti, which used to flourish in agriculture, started lagging behind owing to abadonenent of sector for white collar jobs.
However, better days are here again with the emergence of the Kayode Fayemi – led administration collaborating with civil society organizations, international organizations, local and foreign investors to revive agriculture having discovered its potentials to industrialize the state, boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and provide employment for the teeming youths.
Ekiti State has a huge potential in rice production but its capacity has been hampered by poor credit facilities and lack of modern equipment for farmers.
The state has large number of rice farmers producing local species of rice for consumption within and outside the boundaries of the state. The partial closure of land borders by the Federal Government, though, has curbed rice smuggling into the country to a large extent, as local farmers now have opportunities to boost their production capacity. To this end, the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi has been investing in agriculture and also attracting investors to the sector especially in areas where Ekiti has comparative advantage. One of the areas that Ekiti has comparative advantage is in the production of local rice, called, Igbemo rice which is produced in large quantities in Igbemo-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
