Eniola Yekini
Residents of Ekiti State have commended the state government for introducing the Ounje Ekiti initiative aimed at making staple foods more affordable for households.
The scheme allows residents to purchase food items such as rice, maize, beans and garri at highly reduced prices.
Some residents who visited sales outlets in Ado-Ekiti said the programme had helped families cope with the rising cost of food
Buyers at centres located at Shasha BAO, Agric Olope and the Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency (FAMA) within the Old Governor’s Office premises praised the state governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, for introducing the initiative.
They described the programme as timely, noting that access to staple foods at reduced prices had helped ease financial pressure on many households.
However, the beneficiaries appealed to the government to expand the number of outlets across the state to enable more residents to benefit from the initiative.
They also called for the inclusion of additional food items in the scheme.
Speaking on the development, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, said the initiative was part of the state government’s response to food insecurity and post-harvest losses.
Boluwade said the programme focused on improving food storage, aggregation and distribution while ensuring that residents had access to affordable food items.
According to him,” the food items are sourced from farmers within the state, including youths engaged in agricultural programmes,” noting that, “the initiative is also providing a ready market for their produce.”
He added that the government was already working to expand the outlets across the state to improve accessibility.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency, Mr Adedayo Alofe, said the objective of making food available and affordable for residents was gradually being realised through steady patronage at the centres.
Alofe urged more residents to take advantage of the opportunity.
Similarly, the agency’s Director of Marketing Operations, Adegboye Olubusola, said measures were being introduced to discourage hoarding and ensure fair distribution of the food items.
Officials say “the Ounje Ekiti programme is part of the state government’s broader efforts to promote food security, support farmers and cushion the effects of rising food prices on residents.”