FG’s rail project’ll boost agribusiness in Ekiti —APC Reps aspirant

A House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr Sola Fatoba, has given an assurance the rail project being undertaken by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would boost agricultural business when extended to Ekiti State.

The aspirant, who seeks to represent Ado/Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency in 2019, promised to assist the incoming administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi to replicate what former Governor Donald Duke did in Cross River State and make Ekiti the South-West cocoa zon, if voted as a federal lawmaker in 2019.

In a statement made available on Friday, applauded the exploits being made by President Buhari in rail transportation, saying this would greatly boost agriculture across the country.

He said, having worked in the sector for over two decades, he can attest to the fact that transportation problem has been one of the greatest impediments to the growth of the agriculture sector, particularly marketing of farm produce.

He said Ekiti is predominantly agrarian state, adding that the rail project would help in transforming its economy by way of providing effective transport system for farm produce to the market centres like Lagos and Ibadan.

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“It is going to be a good development when the rail line gets to Ekiti, because our state is predominantly agrarian. We have comparative advantage in agriculture and the rail project will make us do better in this sector.

“I have worked in an agricultural firm for decades. I know where to form a synergy with the incoming governor to make Ekiti great. Cross River State is one of the leading cocoa producers in Nigeria, due to what former Governor Donald Duke did. We can give improved seedlings to our young farmers to boost that sector.

“What Cross River does is to allocate the cocoa plantation to young farmers and they remit certain funds to government and that can be replicated here,” he said.

“Our major problem in Ekiti is how our products always got spoilt due to poor transportation. But with the rail line, Ekiti will be better in the movement of these produce to urban and major commercial towns.

“My plan is to bring the firm I had worked with, which specialises in cocoa and in processing of farm products to joined hands with the incoming government to bring radical changes to our agriculture, so that our youths can be gainfully employed,” he said.