Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has the following Department/Units and three parastatals. They are:

1. Administration and supply
2. Planning Research and statistics
3. Finance and Accounts
4. Agricultural Services
5. Rural Development
6. Produce Services and Tree Crops
7. Veterinary, Livestock and Fisheries Services
8. Sericulture project Unit

1. Farm Settlement and Peasant Farmers Developmemt
2. Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency
3. Agricultural Development Programme/FADAMA III Project

Establish of cocoa clonal gardens at Ado, Eporo and Iye.

EKSG admonishes poultry farmers to protect their birds against flu.

Ekiti State Government has appealed to poultry farmers in the state to
maintain proper hygienic environment to protect their birds from
sudden death occasioned by the outbreak of birds-flu in some states of
the country.

The Special Adviser on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer
Boluwade made the plea while fielding questions from Journalists in
his office in Ado Ekiti.

Mr. Boluwade who noted that some poultry farmers have lost birds worth
millions of naira in the state as a result of the outbreak of the
disease, urged them to maintain cleanliness of the fowl pens and their
surroundings through proper fumigation and management.

The Special Adviser maintained that poultry farmers should not
entertain panic as necessary precautions have been made to checkmate
the spread of the disease in the state.

He urged the poultry farmers to report any suspicious case detected to the
nearest Veterinary Officials in their locality or the Avian Influenza desk
officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ado Ekiti.

The Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and
Food Security, Dr. Emmanuel Osayomi appreciated the Federal Government
for its assistance to poultry farmers by giving them regular trainings, stipends
and active surveillance to poultry farms since inception of the
outbreak in 2006.

Dr. Osayomi expressed the hope that the Federal Government’s magnanimity
towards states on the outbreak of the disease would continue until
the disease is no longer visible in the Country.

EKSG to Communities: Agric Processing Zone Designed for Food Security,
Job Creation

The Ekiti State Government, has appealed to warring communities and
owners of 55,000 hectatres of lands acquired and designated as
Agricultural Processing Zone to eschew violence, saying the initiative
was intended to enhance food security and create jobs in the state.

The government made the appeal , on Tuesday, while interfacing with
angry land owners from Iyemero, Esun, Odo- Oro, Itapaji, Ipao, Oke
Ayedun, and Oke Ako Ekiti, who are owners of the sprawling parcel of
lands acquired by government to propel the initiative.

The engagement stemmed from a letter received from the Ekiti State
Ministry of Agriculture over agitations and displeasure among the land
owners in the donor communities, where the lands were acquired .

The communities were led into the meeting by the Olu of Itapaji, Oba
AbduKareem Adebanjo, Alaaye of  Oke Ayedun, Oba Olufemi Aribisala,
Onise of Odo- Oro, Oba Babatunde Jemilehin, and Elesun of Esun, Oba
Babatunde Ogunsakin.

Others were the regent of Oke Ako Ekiti, Her Royal Highness Tinuade
Adebayo, and the Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area,
Hon. Michael Ogungbemi.

The Deputy Governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary in her
office, Mr. Abayomi Opeyemi, said the host communities in Ekiti North
Senatorial district will enjoy speedy economic development, if they
allow the policy  to thrive.

Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Media Aide, Victor Ogunje, said the
Ekiti State Technical Committee on Land Matters will visit the
expansive land for boundary tracing, so that each of the six towns
would know their boundaries and what were contained on them.

She said; “When this programme fully begins, it is the host
communities that will benefit most  in terms of employment and
business development. This will also help in curtailing the incidences
of kidnappings that were rampant in that axis.

“Let us allow peace to reign by allowing the boundary commission to do
the demarcation, so that there will be peace. What we are trying to do
is to increase food production and  create wealth and jobs for our
people through commercial farming .

” I want to assure you that this government  will not illegally
deprive any community the rights to ownership of their lands. When
government acquired lands, it is for public interest.

“I appeal to you, let us be patient with government. With this
engagement , we have known that a lot of issues needed to be handled
properly and that we are going to do before the full commencement of
the programme”.

In their responses, the monarchs, appealed to government to adhere
strictly to processes guiding acquisition of lands and as well stop
indiscriminate land clearing in the area before embarking on
demarcation of boundaries among towns.

They lamented that the engagement done for the acquisition of over
5,000 hectares of lands  by government  for Agbeyewa Agribusiness Firm
from the area under contention were shoddily done and that such should
be corrected to foster peace.

“We are not against government acquiring lands for farming. We know
the  importance and benefit to local economy, but it has to be
properly done. Community engagement, issuance of notice to farmers and
payment of compensations to those whose crops will be destroyed are
very important in this issue.

“Government should also look at the famine such action could cause and
the environmental and atmospheric  implications it will have on these
towns because of aggressive tree felling that will be carried out by
investors that will  move into our lands”.

The Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Hon. Michael
Ogungbemi, urged the monarchs to ensure that nobody takes laws into
his hands over the matter in their domains pending the resolution of
the disagreement trailing the land matter.

Oyebanji Promises to alleviate poverty in Ekiti.

As part of efforts of Governor ‘Biodun Oyebanji to eradicate poverty
and unemployment in Ekiti State, 36 unemployed youths have been
selected and trained under the Ekiti State Broilers Production Scheme.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security
Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade stated this during the flag off of a training
organized by the ministry in conjunction with Amo Byng Farms in Ado Ekiti.

Mr. Boluwade noted that the first batch of 36 trained youths as pilot
A would be empowered after a period of six months when another set of
36 unemployed youths as pilot B would be trained.

He explained that the already trained youths would train other people
under them as the state government was prepared to empower them to
make them self reliant.

The Special Adviser who advised the beneficiaries to listen and adhere
to every bit of the training to become masters in the profession for
them to be independent, said the training would continue within six
months interval.

The Director Animal Husbandry Services Mr.Adedayo Alofe who commended
the Governor for his giant strides in the state, particularly in the
agricultural sector, said the state government has expended a huge amount of
money on the repair of fowl pens in the state.

Two of the beneficiaries, Mr Clement Alofun and Mrs Yemi Adedara
thanked the state government for the opportunity and promised to train as
many as those who care to patronize them for similar training.