Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has said that his administration generated over 15,000 jobs through the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) Project.
The Governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and National Resources, Mr. Oludare Abegunde at the first Ekiti State poultry festival organized by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in collaboration with the state government in Ado Ekiti, noted that YCAD was designed to engage youths in sustainable agriculture business.
According to him, more than 5,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs have been created since the commencement of the programme.
He commended the Ekiti State chapter of PAN for being pragmatic in its operations, saying the association has been a good partner in progressive change in the livestock sub-sector of agriculture in the state.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and National Resources, Mr. Babajide Arosafe represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Michael Aborisade noted that the current administration under Dr Kayode Fayemi has made tremendous progress in the development of the poultry sub-sector of livestock production.
According to him, the poultry processing plant with a capacity for processing 1,000 birds per day that was set up at Erunfun along the Polytechnic road in Ado Ekiti through some beneficiaries of the YCAD project in the state is expected to address the challenges of transporting birds out of the state for processing.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Chairman of PAN, Mr. Kunle Oke commended the State Government for supporting the Association, saying that his chapter which held the 2013 World Egg Day in grand style as a result of government’s support, would soon proceed to Atlanta, USA to participate in the Animal Poultry Show.
Highpoint of the programmed was the presentation of award to some stakeholders in the Agriculture business including the State Commissioner of Agriculture and the grand patron of PAN, Ekiti State chapter, chief Folorunsho Ogunnaike as well as the sensitization of poultry farmers present at the festival.