World Food Day: Lagos Govt Restate its Promise to Support Farmers

lagos state farmers

The Lagos State Government has restated its promise to support farmers in order to boost food production and create opportunities for small scale farmers while disclosing that it has join forces with the Kebbi State Government to develop rice value chain.

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode who stated this today while delivering his keynote address at the Grand finale of the 2015 World Food Day held at the Johnson Agiri Agricultural Complex, Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos state said the collaboration is hinged on the fact that while Lagos is the highest consumer of milled rice, Kebbi State is considered the largest producer of paddy rice.

Ambode who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Yakub Basorun noted that the state consumed more than 50 per cent of national rice demand.

“Lagos State consumes more 50 per cent of national rice demand which is estimated at over two million metric tons, valued at N365 billion.

“Ninety per cent metric tons of the national rice demand is imported from foreign countries, which drain our foreign exchange reserve. It is against this backdrop that the Kebbi State Governor and I decided to collaborate on the development of the rice value chain,’’ Ambode said
.
According to him, large quantities of paddy rice are expected to arrive in Lagos soonest.
He called on private sector and stakeholders in the agro-enterprise value chain to invest in the additional milling facilities in the state.

“In the next few months, hundreds of thousands of bags of paddy rice will be brought to Lagos markets. I therefore enjoin private sector and stakeholders in agro-enterprise value chain to invest in the additional milling facilities.’’ the governor said.

Ambode also enjoined rice distributors in various markets to register with the ministry of agriculture to guarantee high quality milled rice for the state.

“It is our desire to ensure food security and an enabling environment for our people to have physical and economic access to adequate, safe and nutritious food,’’ he stated.

While presenting award of certificates to 66 women and youths who were trained by the Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) in the three value chains – rice, poultry and aquaculture, Ambode stated that the state is ready to work with small scale farmers to assist them in solving food problems as the trainees were exposed to modern techniques and commercialization of agricultural products.

Speaking with AgroNigeria at the event, the Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN and Chairman Lagos Center of Commerce, Crops Sub-Groups, Otunba Femi Oke, said finance, access to loans, the issue of collateral, lack of conducive farming environment, amongst others were the major challenges faced by rural farmers.

“The government should come to our aid in the areas of finance. We have just been informed recently that about N200 billion has just been given to the Bank of Agriculture but that it was only for the small scale farmers that single digit is being introduced.

“We also want the government to give us grants, like this rice importation being ban, we have a lot of farmers who are into rice business, but they are not being encouraged, we need to encourage these farmers to produce more rice.

“Government can still set up a body, like a community board for all these produce in order to encourage the youths that are coming in as getting the land to farm sometimes is very difficult. If the government should set up a board, then it will be very ease for us to acquire land probably on lease and this will encourage the youth to go into agriculture.

“Also the environment to farm is not very conducive, as the roads are not motor-able and most farm areas lack electricity supplies. If these are put in place, it will stop the migration of farmers from the rural areas to the urban centers and there will be food on the table of every Nigerian, because we are very food sufficient in Nigeria.” Oke noted.

On the part of the farmers, the Chairman AFAN, called on all farmers in the country to take advantage of this era of agriculture, noting that gone are the days when agric was just planting, while urging them to regard agriculture as a business.

“This is the era of agric, let us focus on it, the time that we think that agric is just for us to plant has gone, we are now taking agric as a business, if you plant now you need to make money from which ever area you are involve in.” he said.

Oke therefore urged the Federal government to strengthen the local governments, provide farmers with a single digit rate, allow farmers access to loans and grants, setup a community board for all its produce so as to encourage the youths to venture into agriculture, and create an enabling environment for farmers to strive.

“The government should also encourage, strengthen and listen to our associations because this is the platform through which we encourage other peasant farmers; assist in the area of finance by strengthening our micro finance banks; opening of some of the rural roads, assist in putting more extension farmers into the local government, to make sure our local government is strengthened in the area of agric; as well as help us liaise with community leaders who are willing to lease their lands for farming.” He advised.

Also speaking with AgroNigeria, the Principal of Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School – winners of a quiz competition to mark the 2015 World Food Day, Mrs. O. O. Adewale urged the government to make agriculture attractive to every Nigerian youth by creating a conducive and technological office setting, where young Nigerian farmers will have the opportunity to get information on agriculture.

Adewale also advised the government to be ready to buy the product of these young farmers so as to ease the stress of looking for buyers, which could be discouraging.

The 2015 World Food Day with theme “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”, is an annual programme to celebrate the achievements of farmers across the world.

AgroNigeria reports that the programme was attended by Body of Permanent Secretaries, Management Staff in the Ministry Of Agriculture, Executive Secretaries of LGA and LGDAs, Royal Fathers, All Farmers Associations, Settlements and Estates, Stakeholders in the agriculture sector, Cooperatives, Schools and Farmers.