Residents Commend Oyebanji’s Ounje Ekiti Food Initiative.

Residents Commend Oyebanji’s Ounje Ekiti Food Initiative.

Residents of Ekiti State have commended the State Government for its efforts at alleviating poverty and improving food accessibility through the sale of food items at reduced rates under the Ilu Eye Food Programme tagged Ounje Ekiti.

A cross section of residents who patronise the programme described the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that it has enabled many households to purchase essential food commodities at affordable prices.

Some of the residents who bought food items at the outlets located at Shasha BAO, Agric Olope and the Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency (FAMA) at the Old Governor’s Office premises in Ado-Ekiti, including Mrs. Oba Bolanle, Mr. Ategbero Julius, Mrs. Ronke Lawal and Mr. Ibrahim Mustapha, praised the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, for introducing the initiative.

They noted that the availability of rice, maize, beans and garri at reduced prices has helped ease the burden of rising food costs on residents.

The beneficiaries, however, appealed to the state government to extend the outlets to other parts of the state so that more people can benefit from the programme.

They also urged the government to include additional food commodities in the initiative to further support households across the state.

Speaking on the initiative, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, explained that the Ounje Ekiti Initiative was conceived by the state government as part of its strategic response to food insecurity and post-harvest losses.

According to him, the programme focuses on enhancing food storage, aggregation and efficient distribution of farm produce to ensure that residents have access to affordable food items while also supporting farmers to sell their produce.

Mr. Boluwade added that the state government is already taking steps to expand the outlets across the state in order to improve accessibility and ensure that more residents benefit from the programme.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency (FAMA), Mr. Adedayo Alofe, said the objective of making food available and affordable for members of the public is gradually being realised through the steady patronage recorded at the various outlets.

He charged other residents to take advantage of the opportunity, noting that measures have been put in place to attend to more customers and sustain the initiative.

Similarly, the Director of Marketing Operations of the agency, Mrs. Adegboye Olubusola, disclosed that measures were being put in place to discourage hoarding of food items by customers in order to ensure fair distribution and allow more residents benefit from the programme.

Also speaking, the Technical Assistant to the Commissioner for Trade, Investment, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Omowaye Babatope, noted that the initiative has also provided an avenue for farmers to market their produce, thereby strengthening the agricultural value chain and boosting the local economy.

The Ounje Ekiti programme forms part of the state government’s broader efforts to promote food security, support farmers and cushion the effects of rising food prices on residents of the state.