In a bid to prevent the collapse of the state’s poultry and aquaculture sector, Lagos state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya has called for concerted efforts to halt the increasing prices of soybeans and maize.
Reports said a tonne of maize is selling between N145, 000 and N160, 000. As at November 2019, the price of maize per tonne was N85, 000.
Addressing the Pre-6th Implementation Support Mission of Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS) held in Lagos, she said there’s currently scarcity and near absence of soybeans were among factors militating increased production.
Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Shakirudeen Olayiwole Onasanya, the Commissioner said unless there was an urgent intervention, the industry might experience a shut down.
“I implore this mission’s team to look critically at ways of removing all bottle necks associated with implementation of APPEALS project especially because of the looming food crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and other security challenges in the country.
Stakeholders in two of our value chains; Poultry and Aquaculture are facing major challenge of feed cost. The solution to this and many more crises is what we as implementers of intervention projects should be looking into.
According to her, the Pre-6th Implementation Support Mission of the APPEALS meeting in Lagos has provided an opportunity for stakeholders to interact and contribute immensely to the actualisation of the project’s objective of enhancing agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers and improving value addition along the chosen priority value chains which are Poultry, Aquaculture and Rice in the State.
She continued that the State Government through the Ministry of Agriculture is providing maximum support to the project in ensuring that the contribution of these value chains to food security, local production, improvement of livelihood as well as creation of export market are sustained.
She added: “The present administration of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu through the THEMES Agenda is exploring and investing in the use of innovation and technology to create competitive advantage in ensuring that Lagos attains a 21st-century economy and agriculture remains one of the major drivers in achieving this feat.”
She said the State Steering Committee (SSC) and State Technical Committee (STC) have been performing their oversight functions in ensuring that the project implementation remains on course, adding that project stakeholders have so far been satisfied with the level of interventions.
