Each of the 20 youths that were empowered by the Ekiti State government in the Integrated Farming Scheme under the ‘Millennium Farmers Project’ of the Oni led administration will soon start raking in an income of N1million per farming season.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti at the weekend on the aspiration of the administration of overhauling the agricultural sector of the state as part of the holistic approach to improving the lives of the people, the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Hon Taiwo Olatunbosun said over N44million has been injected in the project to settle the benefitting youths on the forty hectares of cassava/maize intercrop already established in the state, adding that the farmers would also engage in the production of plantain, soya-beans, vegetables, poultry and fisheries as well as piggery production.

Olatunbosun explained that the targets of the administration, apart from youth empowerment, include massive food production and improved protein intake of the citizenry as well as regeneration of forest resources, stressing that the state government would maintain a virile and effective extension services which can deal with problems of production, preservation, storage and marketing of agricultural produce while emphasis would be placed on borders surveillance to ensure maximum revenue returns from cash crops.

The Information Commissioner who added that maintenance of animal health and its spill-over effect on human health was a priority of the Oni led administration; said agricultural data would be properly coordinated for effective and efficient farming activities.

According to the Commissioner, the state government would soon establish a Fish village with an initial capacity of fifty farmers at Usi Ekiti while fifty youths, financed through the state Micro Credit Scheme in partnership with a private company FEDAK Integrated Fish Farm in Ado Ekiti had been trained in fish farming.

The Government Spokesman said that emphasis would be placed on regenerating the old Forest Reserves at Aramoko, Ikere and Ise while a new one would be established at Eda-Oniyo adding that a Bamboo Reserve would also be established at Ekiti South-West Local Government Area.

Olatunbosun who said that the Production of Ethanol and Biofuel from Cassava and Sorghum was on course highlighted other initiatives of the Oni led Administration in the agricultural sector to include the Peasant farmers Scheme, Bee- keeping Scheme, Community Goat and sheep Rearing for Women as well as the Banana Plantation and Processing Programme in the Ekiti South-West Local Government Area of the state.