By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, has called on stakeholders in the agricultural sector in the country to design a proactive measure that will assist the state in the preservation of perishable farm produce.

Fashola who made this call at the commissioning of the first Eko farmers mart at Alausa secretariat, Ikeja, added “we must ensure that significant amounts of farm product are not wasted due to lack of preservation facilities.”

According to her, “If this is achieved, it would ensure price stability of food throughout the year.”On the Eko mart, the wife of the governor said the mart “will provide easy access to farm produce of farmers in the state.””This mart will enable farmers to bring their product directly to the consuming public and will afford residents of the state the opportunity to access fresh farm produce at an affordable price,” Fashola added.

Speaking earlier, commissioner for agriculture and cooperative, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal said “the mart is meant to bring food nearer to the residents of the state at a very reasonable price in a healthy environment. And it will ensure food security and safety in Lagos.

”This mart serves as an avenue to increase the purchasing power of residents of Lagos state and to encourage farmers to increase their output.” “Through this mart, middlemen will be eliminated from the chain of production, as farm produce will be supplied directly from the farm gate,” Lawal added.

The commissioner explained that the large number of middlemen involve in the bringing of farm produce from the farmland to the market in the urban centres increase the price of farm produce, as each of them add their profit margin to the products which contribute negatively to the landing price of agricultural products.

Lawal stated that this initiative will not only ensure all year round access to food supply at a wholesome quantity but will also create jobs across the agro-business value chain in collaboration with the private sector.