Lagos govt. push for Farmers Day, says state consumes 3.65m cattles annually
Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State government has canvassed for the creation of Farmers Day across the country in order to celebrate farmers and boost food security.
The state government also revealed that 10,000 cattles are slaughtered daily legally amounting to 3,650m annually across the state.
According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, there is a need for Nigeria to emulate other African countries like Ghana that have set aside a day to celebrate farmers.
Olusanya spoke on Tuesday while revealing achievements of the ministry at the resumed Ministerial Press Briefing to mark one year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term held in Alausa.
The commissioner noted that agriculture plays an important role in sustaining food production and therefore requires special attention with the creation of Farmers Day.
She also said though the state does not do cattle production, 10,000 cattles are slaughtered daily legally in the state, adding that there are several illegal abattoirs scattered across the state.
She however said the government has embarked on a sensitisation drive to warn Lagosians against patronising illegal abattoirs for unhygienic meats.
The commissioner added that the government is committed to establishing the state as an organised food system and value chain destination.
She also said the government was committed towards achieving its aims and objectives in its development of a five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021-2025) as well as the Food Security Systems Policy Document.
The Commissioner said the government had been able to regulate food prices with the establishment of a Mushin food hub where food stuff is sold at reduced cost, adding that the governor has approved creation of seven additional food hubs in the state to make the state as a food system and value chain destination.
Olusanya said the government had over the last one year secured the Lagos food system, leaving no one behind through the Lagos Agric Scholars’ programme while supporting it with extension services.
She also said the state government had supported more than twenty three thousand, nine hundred and eighty six farmers exceeding its target which included rice, fish and poultry farmers which had enjoyed collaboration with the state.
On Imota Rice Mill, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Oluwarotimi Fashola said the government through its rice mill initiative has partnered with different states to sustain the availability of paddy production to enhance productivity.
He noted that the mill is currently running at 10% capacity, adding that it requires constant supply of 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy to run at its full capacity to be able to produce millions of bags of rice annually.