Lagos to harvest from 10,000 hectares of land acquired from other states

The Lagos State Government is to harvest farm produce from 10,000 hectares of land it acquired in other states before the end of the year, says Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Fashola, who spoke at an event marking the World Food Day in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said the government had acquired land in Osun, Ogun and Oyo states, among others to cultivate farm produce.

According to him, “the farm produce from these farms are expected in the state before the end of this year,” adding that the government was determined to feed the populace with what it produced.

The governor urged farmers and producers of agricultural products to take advantage of the various initiatives in the sector as well as the opportunities provided through cooperative societies for their personal and collective good.

Fashola, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Oluranti Adebule, said the government was striving to ensure food security in the state.

He said the theme of the celebration, which is “Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding the World,” was very relevant to the initiatives being adopted to address food shortages worldwide.

Fashola added that the need to increase food production through cooperative activities could not be over emphasized in view of the estimated 925 million hungry people in the world today and 70 percent living in the rural areas where agriculture remained the main source of survival and sustenance.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal said efforts had been made to improve productivity in agriculture by focusing on the whole value chain with emphasis on enterprises where the state had comparative advantage.

He stated that the state’s involvement in agriculture was to attain food security and job creation to which all stakeholders, particularly those in agricultural estates had contributed immensely.

“Farmers have been linked effectively to markets creating job opportunities in poultry, agriculture, fisheries and horticulture in the state,” he added.

Source: PM News