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Lagos to scale-up food production to 40% by 2025 

By Gbenga Akinfenwa 
29 May 2023   |   3:03 am
The Lagos State Government has promised to scale up food production from the present 20 per cent of demand to 40 per cent by the year 2025, to attain food security for residents.

[FILES] Food market

The Lagos State Government has promised to scale up food production from the present 20 per cent of demand to 40 per cent by the year 2025, to attain food security for residents.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, who disclosed this during the distribution of agricultural inputs and production assets to farmers in Eti-Osa Local Council, said the attainment of food security is a major policy thrust of the current administration given its relevance in promoting the health and well-being of citizens and the achievement of the state government’s THEMES agenda.

Fashola revealed that the ministry developed a five-year agricultural and food system roadmap to galvanise 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 for financial services and markets.

“In this direction, the ministry is implementing a number of programmes and projects to facilitate the attainment of this vision, create jobs, and promote livelihood sustenance for the value chain actors.

“This is expected to scale food production from the present 20 per cent of demand to 40 per cent by the year 2025. In this direction, the ministry is implementing a number of programmes and projects to facilitate the attainment of this vision, create jobs, and promote livelihood sustenance for the value chain actors,” Fashola said.

He said one of the challenges confronting agriculture in the state is an aging farmer and fishermen population, lamenting that most youths who make up about 60 per cent of the state’s population are not interested in agriculture as a profession because of drudgery in the system.

“It is in the wake of this fact that the ministry partnered with innovative companies to introduce technology in agriculture, especially the upstream sector….”

In his speech, the Chairman, Eti-Osa Local Council, Saheed Adesegun Bankole, who lauded the command of the efforts of the ministry, said the gesture is a display of its unwavering commitment to agricultural sector and for recognising the important of supporting farmers in our council area.

He said: “This programme is a clear demonstration of your determination to improve the standard of living of the farming community in Lagos State, we appreciate the resources, materials and training that have been made available for this programme..

“Your vision for the establishment of fishing and farming clusters and food processing within strategic locations in Lagos State is indeed a game-changer for us.”

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