By Fatima Muraina
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To boost rice production in Ekiti state, the state government has announced its readiness to partner with farmer associations and other stakeholders involved.
The call was made by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, at a meeting with representatives of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria(RIFAN) in Ado-Ekiti.
Boluwade noted that rice farming and production began in Ekiti in 1945 with the Igbemo variety, and expressed worry that the state’s contribution to national rice production was still very low.
”So, we have gathered here with you to share ideas on how to upscale rice production in the state,” he said.
The governor’s aide said that the government would partner with stakeholders in the sector to ensure massive cultivation.
”We want to see rice being cultivated in all our local government areas. “We want to see our farmers producing better varieties of rice,” he said.
Boluwade said that the state government was committed to achieving prosperity in all sectors.
Some of the farmers who spoke at the meeting described the government’s intention as a good omen for rice cultivation in the state.
They said, should the government pursue its intentions vigorously, Ekiti would be listed among the major rice-producing states in the country.
