![Nigerian food market. [Photo credit: The Guardian NG]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/04/Nigeria-Food-market.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1)
The Ekiti State government on Tuesday set up storage facilities in different parts of the state, with the sole aim of buying farm produce from farmers during the harvest season and storing them for release during the period of scarcity.
The State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who led some officials on inspection of one of the storage facilities for agricultural produce in Ado- Ekiti, said building the storage facilities is one of the government’s plans to avert the food scarcity that was experienced in the state last year.
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Mr Oyebanji said government’s immediate focus is to address food shortage, reduce post-harvest losses and ensure food sufficiency all year round across the state.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the inspection, the Governor said the initiative was in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to the State Governors to prioritise food security as a critical step in combating hunger across the country.
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Mr Oyebanji explained that the state cultivated over 6,000 hectares of farmland in 2024, adding that the warehouse for storing food crops was a major challenge, hence the decision of his administration to provide storage facilities this year.
The facilities, according to the Governor, would help in regulating prices of food items in the eventuality of food scarcity.
While expressing his delight that a sizeable chunk of the farm produce was bought from young farmers under the Bring Back Youth in Agriculture programme, the Governor assured that his administration remains committed to alleviating hunger and achieving food security in the state.
“We promised Ekiti State good governance and, like you said, we have been trying to work that talk. The President directed that each state should embark on a strategy of food security and in Ekiti State in the last one year, we have started with phase one of a very deliberate attempt to ensure that we prow ourselves out of hunger, last year we cumulatively cultivated over 6,000 hectares of land in the state, all planted.
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“Going forward, we want to ensure that those crops that we buy from the youth store them there and we will release to the market when there is an increase in prices of food so that we can moderate prices,” the Governor stated.
In his own remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and food security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said that the goal is not only to tackle hunger but to also create opportunities for youth in agriculture.
While explaining that the initiative would ensure steady food supply throughout the year, Mr Boluwade said government would encourage farmers, particularly the youths in agriculture to increase production, knowing that their produce would not go to waste and government is willing and ready to buy from them.
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