Ekiti State Government has kicked off its planned 1.5 metric tonnes annual rice production as it reinvented the rice pyramid for which the state was once famous.
This is thereby signalling the restoration of the state’s lost glory in commercial rice production.
In fact, Governor Kayode Fayemi declared on Monday: “We want to increase rice production in Ekiti from 473,000 metric tonnes annually to 1.5 million metric tonnes. We are doing this in partnership with JMK, Dangote and Stallion Rice Mills, their plants are already in Ekiti.”
In the 60s, cocoa, groundnut and rice pyramids were prominent in the southern and northern parts of the country but disappeared with the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantity.
The rice project is a tripartite programme between the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Ekiti State Government.
The programme will lead to production of over one million metric tonnes of rice yearly.
Governor Kayode Fayemi, at the flag-off of the rice pyramid project and the 2021 wet season rice cultivation in the state commended President Muhammadu Buhari for demonstrating the capacity to tackle poverty and reduce dependence on foreign food by many of his initiatives in the agriculture sector
He said on Monday that land clearing, production of rice seedling and farm Implements at low interest will enhance rice value chain from primary producers to processors.
His words: “It will also help in tackling poverty and insecurity, enhance economic diversification, foreign exchange earnings and forex policy and curtail cross border banditry.
“In the past, Ekiti was recognised as a rice producing state. We want to change the narrative and restore the lost glory by moving farming from mere subsistence to profitable business, which was why we are mobilising our farmers to benefit from the Rice Borrowers Programme.”
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who also graced the event, praised President Mohammadu Buhari for mobilising Nigerians towards self sufficiency in food production and for export.
He reassured that his administration would explore to the fullest, all areas of strength of the State within the agricultural value chains.
He noted that Ondo State is working on more financial support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), towards developing Cocoa and Oil Palm plantations.
Akeredolu who was quick to add that the proposed support would not jettison the various creative initiatives of his administration to other sub-sectors of agriculture, said that exploring the entire agricultural value chains for job creation and food security would continue to be the priority of his administration.
He commended Fayemi for the salutary efforts of his administration at clinging to rice production which he described as the traditional strength of the state within the agricultural food production chain.
He said the development has made Ekiti, the pride of South-West States.
Akeredolu also pleaded with the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele to increase significantly the bank’s agricultural financing to states in the South-West in view of the huge cost being expended on farmland preparations in the geopolitical zone.
He said all governors in the South-West region are interested in agriculture, just as he appealed for intensive support of CBN to have a head way in agriculture.
In his remarks, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele lauded the state Governors for working at achieving a great stride in agriculture development since 2015 through growing “What We Eat and Eat What We Grow.”
He described the Rice Pyramid Programme as a good vision that would reduce import and make Nigeria fully independent in food production.
Emefiele said over three million farmers were being financed in production of varieties of products that can improve the economy, provide jobs and increase Nigeria’s imports for foreign exchange earnings .
The CBN Governor said he understood that there was prohibition of land clearing in the Southwest, saying some governors have accessed a sum of N1.5 billion each to undertake such policy in their states.
He said: “Agriculture is profitable today in Nigeria and we will strive to make it profitable for all. We will try to make farm mechanisation readily available to our farmers . We are not only doing rice, we are supporting Cocoa, palm tree. Provision of rural access roads is also part of our target.
He said that out of N700 billion earmarked for the Anchor Borrowers Programme, over N300 billion has been disbursed in the Southern part of the country, for the expansion of food production.
The Hope
