Our agro-industrial capacity growing – Kyari

The Federal Government has said that the country’s agro-industrial capacity will grow as more private sector actors participate in the space. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, stated this at Ipao Ekiti in Ekiti State as part of his nationwide farm tour to assess large-scale agricultural production and its impact on food […]

The Federal Government has said that the country’s agro-industrial capacity will grow as more private sector actors participate in the space.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, stated this at Ipao Ekiti in Ekiti State as part of his nationwide farm tour to assess large-scale agricultural production and its impact on food security.

“This 10,000-hectare cassava farm, under Cavista Holdings, is a testament to Nigeria’s growing agro-industrial capacity, cultivating high-yield cassava varieties such as White Lion, Dixon and TME 419, with an impressive yield of 20 to 30 metric tonnes per hectare.

“Through mechanized farming and efficient post-harvest management, Agbeyewa Farms maintains a cassava starch content of 27 percent, ensuring high-quality produce for industrial processing. With 40 tractors and six bulldozers, the farm is poised to expand its operations with a 26-hectare agro-processing facility, further strengthening its value chain.

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Sen. Kyari added that this kind of synergy between the private sector players and the Ekiti State Government should be emulated by all states of the federation. “As a federal government representative, I can assure you of our support to ensure success.” 

He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to food security in the country where everyone would have access to enough safe, nutritious food to meet their needs.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Agbeyewa Farms, Mr. Seyi Ayeleso, disclosed that the business model of the company centers on massive cassava cultivation, aggregation processing, and marketing of the commodity while also diversifying into equipment leasing and other value-added services.

He noted that the Agro Allied Company has in the last two years cultivated over 1500 hectares of high-yield cassava in farms located in Ipao, Itapaji, Gede, and Ikosu Ekiti and had also set a target of cultivating 10,000 hectares of the commodity by the next year.

In his remarks, Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezar Boluwade, said that the agricultural sector is witnessing a huge turnaround under Governor Oyebanji, adding that the government is working hard to make Ekiti, the number one cassava-producing state in Nigeria. 

Boluwade added that the present administration had set a target to double its cassava production output from 2 million tons per year to 4 million tons per year before the end of 2026.

The commissioner expressed gratitude to the federal government for the fertilizer released to the state last year, saying the move greatly improved food production in the state. 

He said “We have several tons of maize, rice and other grains and produce in the stores of the state-owned Ile Eye Agro Trading Company, which we intend to roll out during off-season with the aim of bringing down and stabilizing food prices in the state all year round.” 

“We are trying hard to boost food security through the synergy between the state government, the private sector, support development partners, and the federal government. We are committed to bending the curve and currently clearing, ploughing and harrowing land farms at 50 percent subsidized rates.”

“Agbeyewa Farms and other private farms are in the heart of our Agriculture Processing Zone. We also have farming clusters across the state. What Agbeyewa will do for us is to aggregate and process the commodity for local consumption and export,” he added.