Lagos pledges support to farmers

Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that the state would continue to provide necessary assistance and advisory services to farmers to increase food production for the growing population.

Sanwo-Olu gave the commitment in Lagos at the inauguration of the 2019 Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment programme where 1,750 value chains actors were empowered with various assets and inputs.

“In spite of the global climate change which constitutes a major challenge to food security, our government would continue to provide necessary assistance and advisory services to farmers to increase food production in the state,” the governor said.

Represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, he explained that the provision of adequate socio-economic infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing population would continue to receive the state government’s priority.

According to him, the agricultural roadmap of the state focuses on the development of value chains where the state has competitive and comparative advantages, including the provision and availability of improved inputs, increased productivity and production.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, had explained that the programme was targeted at farmers who were the direct beneficiaries, service providers, transporters, input manufacturers and suppliers within the system whose services were required for the successful implementation of the project.

Similarly, Lawal, speaking at a press briefing on the 2019 Lagos Seafood Festival slated for Sunday, said with a population of over 22 million persons, Lagos State requires at least 374,000 tonnes of fish per annum compared to a domestic fish production of 155262 tonnes yearly.

“We would not just create local market for them but work to ensure that local demands are surpassed to have more than enough to export.”