In a bid to boost food security in the state, the Lagos State government has inaugurated two agro-processing centres in Ikorodu Local Government Area.
This disclosure was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, during the inauguration of the agro-processing centres.
The agro-processing centres include a Cottage Broiler Processing Centre, situated in Itamaga, and an Egg Aggregation Centre, located in Erikorodo, Ikorodu.
Both projects were facilitated by the Lagos Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project.
According to the commissioner, the inauguration of these agro-processing centres was a testament to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s commitment to food security in Lagos state.
Olusanya said that the Lagos State government’s support of the indigenous agricultural food chain and the farming community was necessary to ensure the food demands of Lagos State are met.
Furthermore, the commissioner highlighted the impact of the Lagos APPEALS Project in the state, stating that thousands of farmers in the state in aquaculture, poultry and rice value chains had benefitted from the initiative.
She further revealed that shortly, the Lagos State Government would collaborate more with farmers across different sectors, value chains and clusters to address the needs of Lagosians and provide substantial support to local farmers.
What the commissioner said:
“The focus of the government is on establishing the right food system and market infrastructure to empower farmers to create the right commodities for exchange.
“Thereby, addressing price fluctuations and price fixation.
“We import more than we export. We consume from outside more than we produce internally.
“We need to support the agricultural food system of Nigeria and the farmers at large.
“We need to support farmers to produce enough to cater to the needs of Nigerians and Lagosians, which is why Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes in the food actors.”
Potential benefits of the agro-processing centres
The Lagos State Coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Mrs Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, in her remarks, said that the two agro-processing centres established in Ikorodu were provided for farmers based on needs assessment to improve their productivity.
According to Sagoe-Oviebo, the broiler processing centre would deal with the issue of foreign exchange in the importation of chicken and reduce the cost of production locally.
Also speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mrs Ibitoye Juliana, Chairperson of Erikorodo Poultry Estate Farmers Association, noted that the establishment of both projects was a historic milestone for farmers in Erikorodo and Ikorodu at large.
“This aggregation centre is another evidence of your support for us farmers in adding value to our produce and contributing more towards the food security of our dear Lagos State,” she said.
She thanked the Lagos State and APPEALS Project for the improvement of the road network in the Erikorodo Estate, which had enhanced their businesses.
Also, Mr Bartholomew Akhigbe, the Chairman of the Cluster group, who spoke at the inauguration commended the Lagos State government and APPEALS project, saying the processing centre would enhance the productivity of farmers in the area, as well as help phase out the importation of chicken.
