Lagos drives food security, begins sharing of agric inputs to 20,000 farmers

The Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture has launched the free distribution of agricultural inputs and production assets.

No fewer than 20,000 farmers in 120 farming and fishing clusters across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state will benefit.

A the inauguration of the scheme at the secretariat of Ikorodu Local Government Area, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the initiative was part of the comprehensive plan of the Lagos State Government to drive food security by supporting farming and farmers to thrive.

She said a needs assessment was conducted by officials of the Ministry to get the view of farmers as to the required production assets to boost farming, and that the inputs distributed were as a result of their responses.

The commissioner said, “The 2022 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation and Farmers’ Support Programme, which is being flagged off today, is designed to provide agricultural inputs and production assets to 120 fishing and farming clusters/communities across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the State.

“In all, over 20,000 fisherfolks and farmers will benefit from the programme while budgetary provision has been made to accommodate a larger number of Value Chain Actors in the 2023 edition of the programme.

“I express profound appreciation to Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State for his immense support to agricultural development in the State.”

She said the attainment of food security had consistently been a major policy thrust of the Sanwo-Olu-led administration given its relevance in promoting the health and well-being of citizens and the achievement of the State Government’s THEMES Agenda, especially the 4th Pillar of Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.

“In this direction, the Ministry developed a five-Year Agricultural and Food System Roadmap to galvanize public, private, and donor agency efforts in the development of agriculture in the state’s economy.

“The roadmap also provides solutions for the wholesomeness of food items, reduction in post-harvest losses, and improving linkages with industry with respect to backward integration as well as access to financial services and markets. This is expected to scale food production from 20% demand to the projected 40% by the year, 2025,” Olusanya said.

She said one of the key challenge is the aging farmers and fishermen population and catching the interest of youths to take to agriculture as a profession, adding that the Ministry had partnered innovative companies to introduce technology in agriculture, especially the upstream sector.

Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, said the Farmers’ support programme commenced in 2014, and that a total of 16, 466 farmers, fishermen, agro-processors, butchers, and marketers had so far benefited with corresponding impacts on agricultural productivity.

In his goodwill message, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi lauded the initiative, saying it would go a long way in promoting farming and bringing about sufficiency in food production.

The Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Wasiu Adesina, advised farmers to improve their seedlings and farming method.