Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), yesterday, urged Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to encourage mass production and proper packaging of some of its non-oil products, like yam and banana, for export to enhance foreign revenue earnings that can boost the economy of the state.
NEPC said statistics revealed that Ilawe Ekiti axis of the state trades over three million bunches of banana yearly ditto yam production in Ilasa Ekiti axis, which it said has the capacities to dominate the world market with proper packaging and earn the state huge foreign revenue.
The council gave the advice during a business summit tagged: ‘Harnessing agribusiness and export opportunities in Ekiti for wealth creation,” organised by E-11, at Ikogosi Resort Centre in Ekiti West Local Government Area.
A NEPC Trade Officer, Rotimi Babadipe, said the council has started encouraging proper packaging of banana and yam products in Ekiti to export status while also encouraging the state to tap into benefits inherent in cashew, cocoa and palm oil production that can attract huge foreign investments.
“Ekiti has one of the best brands of yam and banana in the world, but we are trying to encourage export of the products by teaching traders on best preservation and packaging techniques that can attract value at the world market.
“We are not limiting this to yam and banana alone, we are teaching farmers about best fermentation techniques that can produce quality seeds to stop the degrading of cocoa product at the world market,” he said.