By Chioma Obinna
To ensure food safety, the State government said plans are underway to increase the aggregate food supply of the State from less than 15 percent to 25 percent within the next four years through various projects and programmes.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Toyin Suarau who made this known while giving account of Ministry in the last one year to commemorate 1st year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode led administration noted that the aggregate food supply internally is less than 15 percent of total food consumption.

Suarau noted that the State has continued to intensify efforts in the agricultural areas where it has comparative ecological and socio-economic advantages, despite its high industrialised status, population density and pressure on land for non-agricultural purposes. These areas according to him include “fisheries, livestock and vegetable production as well as agro-processing with emphasis on value addition”.

According to him, the State Government through the Ministry of Agriculture is vigorously implementing the State’s Strategic Food Security Plan with programmes and projects that have remarkable impact on food security in the State.

He said the ministry has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lagos and Kebbi States to establish a Joint Venture using Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) LASKEB Agricultural Production and Marketing Company (LAPMCO) on the development of Commodity such as Rice, Wheat, Ground-Nut, Onions, Maize/Sorghum and Beef as part of the activities towards increasing food supply and ensuring food security.

He said the state is also strengthening its Agricultural Extension Services and animation to improve farmers’ productivity while development of modern Abattoirs to provide wholesome meat to the citizens.

The commissioner stated that furtherance to the Ministry’s effort to engage youths and boost rice production in the State, a total of 100 farmers through the FADAMA III additional financing programme have been settled on the 500 hectares of land acquired in Eggua, Ogun State adding that through this rice cultivation has so far improved in the State.

“The yield has improved from less than one tonne per hectare to about 3tonnes per hectare with double cropping in some areas where irrigation facilities are provided. The State government is also poised to expand its rice mill at Imota from 2.5Metric Tonnes per hour to 10metric tonnes per hour, while at the same time encouraging private sector operators to invest in rice processing”, Suarau stated.

The Commissioner also explained that State government has continued to address the various challenges facing agriculture in the State such as declining land for agricultural activities, encroachment by land speculators as well as promoting the utilization of agricultural land for its intended purposes adding that the Agriculture Ministry has intensified the establishment of additional farm estates in Eluju- Mowo and Igbodu respectively through Public Private Partnership arrangement.

“463 farmers were trained on Agric Business Planning using the Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum (NAEC) module, 38 Rice farmers in Itoikin Production Clusters were supported with mechanical land preparations, fertilizers, agrochemicals and Advisory Services on Sawah Technology”, he said.

He noted that LAISA has supported in the distribution of over 1,500 bags of fertilizer, hybrid maize and agrochemicals to crop and vegetable farmers in the State; 4,000 bags of fish feeds to fish farmers and 80 units of poultry battery cages to Poultry farmers.