FG To Establish Soil Laboratory In Ekiti
The Federal Government is set to establish a pilot Soil Assessment Laboratory in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State*
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, explained that the move is aimed at enhancing the livelihood of farmers in the state.
According to him, the project, which is a collaboration between the State and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is the first of its kind in the South West part of the country.
He added that the development would enable farmers to have soils in their farmlands tested in Ekiti, as opposed to the previous practice of going to a private lab in Ibadan, Oyo State, or outside the country in Kenya.
The commissioner stressed that the move would also create opportunities for the state to partner with universities and polytechnics that offer soil science, culminating in the possible provision of world-class services to farmers in the state and its environs.
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He commended President Bola Tinubu-led federal government for aiding the state through various interventions in agriculture to ensure food security and improve the quality of life for the populace.
Boluwade recalled that the Biodun Oyebanji administration, in partnership with the Federal Government, has embarked on various programmes in the agriculture sector to turn the state into a food hub in the country.
He disclosed that the administration in the last two years has opened up thousands of hectares of land, fixed rural access roads, and engaged youths in agriculture on a large scale with mouthwatering incentives, including the distribution of inputs and agrochemicals to various farmers across the state, among other laudable programmes.