By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State led administration has done a lot to make the transformation agenda in the state a success. The present administration has built a 20,000 metric tonnes per annum Rice Milling Plant at the Agro-Industrial Park, Imota to boost capacity of the local rice production and have tremendously increased the hectarage rice plantation from 30 ha to 450 ha and is planning to increase production to 1000 ha.

A lot of work had also been done in the cassava sector of the Transformation Agenda. It had delineated areas around Ikorodu, Epe and Ibeju Lekki axis as Cassava Production and Processing Belt (CPPB), where incentives for cassava production, processing and marketing would be concentrated. This is to promote employment, rural development and reduce poverty through the economics of cassava production.

A modern cassava processing plant to produce High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) has been processed for construction in the CPPB.

In the Aquaculture value-chain the state government aimed at creating an enabling environment to achieve one million metric tons of fish sustainability within five years and to generate five hundred thousand jobs within Lagos State that would lead the nation.

Being the foremost state with the greatest potential in aquaculture, the state has invested in the following areas: Hatcheries development, cage and pen culture using water bodies, fish estate and clusters, fish processing plants, fish feed milling and inputs development, research and extension among others.

Thus, as part of effort to boost local production of various agricultural produce, the state government has acquired land from neighbouring states for framing purposes for the ever increasing populace in the state.

Fashola, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Orelope Adejoke-Adefulire, disclosed this at the official presentation of farming equipment to beneficiaries and commissioning of farm service centre, Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos.

The event which also marked the 2012 Farmers Appreciation Day, the second of its kind, to celebrate and appreciate the efforts of farmers and fishermen in the state witnessed the distribution of various agricultural inputs worth over N32 million at 40 percent subsidy by the state government to beneficiaries.

According to Fashola,who stated that the measure also aimed at bringing service closer to farmers and stakeholders, promised that by year 2025, the state would produce at least 20 to 25 percent of its food needs locally and 60 percent target by 2050.

He noted that the centre had trained 1000 farmers since its inception in all aspect of livestock, poultry, piggery and snail production, noted that the country was faced with the challenge of feeding its huge population and food security was being threatened by rising food prices, which is a major sign of food crisis in Nigeria.

“Food security which is one of the cardinal programmes of the ten-point agenda of my administration is also an integral part of the Lagos State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (LASEEDS) document as well as the resolutions of the Ehingbeti summit and the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). It also tallies with the objectives of establishing the farm service centre to train more people in sustainable food production”, he added.

He said that the state government had commenced the process of decentralizing the entre by replicating it in the five divisions of the state in order to bring service closer to the people.

“The state has commenced the purchase of land from other states in order to achieve its food security agenda. An example is Oshogbo, where we would soon commence the planting of cash and food crops like pineapple, citrus and other high value crops to sustain our people.

“All these activities in addition to the mobilization of rural folks would be carried out with the aim of providing food for citizens in the best form possible and at affordable prices in an environmentally friendly manner.

“Nigeria, especially the South West, is endowed with large arable land, large water bodies and productive farming population that could feed the whole of West Africa.

“Our people in the South West have to rise up to the constraints and challenges and grow enough food to feed the population, so that the ugly situation that occurred during the food transportation boycott of early 2010 would not repeat itself.” The governor stated.

In his address, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, “the farm centre was conceived out of the pressing needs to expand the scope of support services to our farmers in a way that is consistent with how the government of Lagos typically, resolve problems confronting the state.

“The farm centre is also intended as a one stop-centre that will serve farmers within and outside the states in the various areas such as, entrepreneurial–training services, skill enhancement and capacity building programmes, sales of agricultural inputs, and provision of markets information, among others.

The farm centre, according to government, was also conceived out of the pressing need to expand the scope of support services to farmers in the state and empower them through knowledge impartation, capacity building and training programmes.

Farm centre aims to provide accurate, timely and reliable information and give advice to farmers on topics ranging from crops and livestock production, modern research, innovation and technology; government programmes, services and farm business management including entrepreneurial modules.

The Farm Service Centre (FSC) formerly known as Agro Service Centre was established in the 1960s as an Agro Service Inputs delivery outpost to offer advisory services as well as supply of agro inputs to farmers in the state.

Many retired and young, intending people had passed through the center over the years and many of them are successful farmers today.

Over the last  two decades, the functionability of the centres as a reliable source  of relevant advisory services and a supplier of affordable agro inputs to farmers has declined.

In line with the renewed emphasis on agriculture and the spirited effort of the present administration to address food security issues in the state, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is establishing Modern Farm Service Centres across the state, starting with the Agege Farm Service Centre which is closely followed by the Badagry Farm Service Centre that is nearing completion.

The Farm Service  Centre which is a One-Stop Shop is a-Storey building with a beautiful landscape comprising of offices for all the departments and agencies of the mnistry, classrooms, input and syndicate rooms, multipurpose training hall, and administrative offices among others.

The  President of Asiwaju Cams, one of the beneficiaries cooperative society Oke Aro in Ikeja division,Mr. Samuel Tiwalade-Alayode said the new Farm Service Centre will relieve them of the stress,time and money of traveling down to Ojo for farm inputs.

He commended the Fashola administration for the initiative and appealed to government to keep to its promise by replicating the centre in the other four divisional zones of the state.

Mr. Babatunde Shadeko, President Imota Farm Settlement said the society has benefited greatly through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative , especially in the supply of grains input. He said with the farm service centre in all divisions of the state, services and input supply will be decentralized.

Members of Aiyedoto Farm Estate Cams, also expressed appreciation to the state government for benefiting live stock grains input, CADP farm access roads and the FADAMA projects.