Posted By On October 23, 2012 @ 1:13 pm In Business,Business News | No Comments

The Lagos State Government is to harvest farm produce from 10,000 hectares of land it acquired in other states before the end of the year, says Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Fashola, who spoke at an event marking the World Food Day in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said the government had acquired land in Osun, Ogun and Oyo states, among others to cultivate farm produce.

According to him, “the farm produce from these farms are expected in the state before the end of this year,” adding that the government was determined to feed the populace with what it produced.

The governor urged farmers and producers of agricultural products to take advantage of the various initiatives in the sector as well as the opportunities provided through cooperative societies for their personal and collective good.

Fashola, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Oluranti Adebule, said the government was striving to ensure food security in the state.

He said the theme of the celebration, which is “Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding the World,” was very relevant to the initiatives being adopted to address food shortages worldwide.

Fashola added that the need to increase food production through cooperative activities could not be over emphasized in view of the estimated 925 million hungry people in the world today and 70 percent living in the rural areas where agriculture remained the main source of survival and sustenance.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal said efforts had been made to improve productivity in agriculture by focusing on the whole value chain with emphasis on enterprises where the state had comparative advantage.

He stated that the state’s involvement in agriculture was to attain food security and job creation to which all stakeholders, particularly those in agricultural estates had contributed immensely.

“Farmers have been linked effectively to markets creating job opportunities in poultry, agriculture, fisheries and horticulture in the state,” he added.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/10/23/lasg-to-harvest-farm-produce-from-10000-hectares-of-land/print/

Eko Ile: Nothing is impossible with sensible and creative leaders with good vision and sense of purpose..


Eko o ni baje o

Standing5: What are the other SW governors doing with their own money? They are busy selling to Fashola and watching him make good use of their land. . . God help us all.

Gbawe:

You don't have to be feudalistic about everything. Just see what needs to be seen for once. There are large swathes of rural Land currently unused in SW States with population less than 5 million (virtually all SW States apart from Oyo). From your talk that urges SW Governors to be protectionist, as if everything is now a competition, it seems you don't realize that regional integration means the exact opposite of your thinking i.e cooperation and beneficial inter-dependence instead of feudalism and protectionism. Lagos needs support and decongestion and it can, in turn, provide economically beneficial activities for others. SW States and administrators appreciate this.

The massive demand for food in Lagos can spur employment in other States of the SW and aid the migration of labour away from Lagos. The idea is that the SW becomes essentially one State where competitive advantage, population, market size, demand for goods, specific State endowment, peculiar needs et al is used proactively and unitedly to bring progress for all.

Standing5:
ehn ehn Mr. Gbawe, you don come again oh! What if the other South West Governors make use of the land? Will Lagos' population not still benefit from it, or why must it be Fashola who will have to wake them up from their slumber? I am not trying to encourage competition here, but trying to understand why no other governor could come up with such idea of massive farming before Fash.

Gbawe:

Have you studied, in detail, specific plans and ongoing efforts regarding what SW Governors like Fayemi, Amosun, Aregbesola are doing for the development of the agriculture sectors in their respective States? Do you think SW States assisting Lagos when they can comfortably do so, and thus fulfilling obligations of integration, translate to neglecting their own initiatives and drives towards agricultural development and local food security? We just discussed a thread a few days ago about Osun establishing Cattle ranches as a first in the SW and targeting the Lagos market !!!

Let us stop this simplistic feudalism in an age of idea and increasing cooperation. If you really want to gain information then search for it. It will be quickly apparent to you that SW Governors are not in some servant-master relationship with Fashola to the detriment of their own State. They all have solid plans for agriculture but may be predisposed to assisting Lagos because they all have population density , far less than Lagos, that means they have more arable land than they need.

berem: Omonile don sell land finish for Lagos. Now its time to acquire lands in other states for farming purpose? Not a bad idea afterall.

geeez:

Later when the say the average IQ of Nigerians is 69, you will be arguing. How many farms have you seen in Manhattan or Brooklyn? Lagos State is one big business district with the exception of Epe and Badagry. Oponu

kennytidistar: insensitive governor, let another party win any of those states they will withdraw their land without compensation, olodo lawyer!

geeez:

Later when the say the average IQ of Nigerians is 69, you will be arguing. How many farms have you seen in Manhattan or Brooklyn? Lagos State is one big business district with the exception of Epe and Badagry. Oponu

berem: ode,so your own IQ is what? How can you compare lagos to brooklyn and manhattan? Oh boy no make me laugh this early morning o!

berem: ode,so your own IQ is what? How can you compare lagos to brooklyn and manhattan? Oh boy no make me laugh this early morning o!

S/West unfolds plan to boost food production
on AUGUST 25, 2012 · in NEWS
11:12 pm
0
By Alaine Elizabeth & Hamzat Ouwasayo
As part of the search for a critical solution to the challenge of food and livelihood, the six states of the South-west are bringing farmers and operators in the agro-allied industry together for a food security exhibition/fair.

The present administrations in the South-west states, according to the managing director of Chubbies and Fields, Dr. Akin Ajiboye, whose organisation and Oodua Chambers of Commerce are partnering with the state governments on the initiative, have moved to consolidate their gains in agriculture.

“The exhibition will enable the governments achieve their objectives in mass food production, food security and to efficiently harness the agricultural resources of the South-west states and to contribute significantly to their GDP”, Ajibola, flanked by Mrs. Jumoke Adeyemi, the Director of Finance, Chubbies and Fields, and Mr. Victor Fatula, said at a press briefing in Lagos.

Ekiti State will host the maiden edition of the food security exhibition/fair in Ado Ekiti Trade Fair Complex between September 10 and 14. Ajiboye explained: “Chubbies and Fields will be working with Ekiti State Government to host the 2012 Farmers and Food Security Fair to commemorate our bid to reclaim food and sustainable development in the South-west states”.

He listed the thematic focus of the exhibition/fair to include agricultural input subsidy program, supply of farm implements to farmers and mass training on best farming practices.

The managing director added that participants at the event will be drawn from all the local government councils in the South-west while awards will be given to distinguished farmers.

Lagos Unveils Mega Rice Processing Factory

16 May 2012
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Governor Babatunde Fashola


By Gboyega Akinsanmi


Lagos State Government Tuesday inaugurated a rice processing factory, which it said had the capacity to produce 20,000 metric tonnes per annum (equivalent to either 350,000 or 400,000 bags)

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Governor Babatunde Fashola unveiled the factory in Imota, Lagos along with the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, and Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Alhaji Bukar Tijani Borno.


Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the governor said the development was a wakeup call on hoodlums popularly referred “to as area boys to vacate the street and key in on the employment opportunities that the factory offers.”


According to him, the factory was situated on a 23,000-hectare industrial estate and had about 10,000-tonnes storage for rice paddy and 45,000-ton capacity storage for finished rice.


He added that time for miscreants to reign in Lagos “is over. The time for wealth without work is over we have provided the framework for you to get your hands busy, get off the streets and go to the farm.


“We will give you farm land. I will give you the support. If you put your mind to it, there is prosperity. Our land is too green for us to be hungry. Our youths must be ready to work in the farms that we are creating.”


The governor reiterated the state government’s commitment towards reinvigorating its agricultural sector, noting that it “is only through such that the nation can summon its economic challenges. We are beginning to see progress and a clear path towards establishing a sustainable agriculture.”


According to Fashola, there was need for government at all levels to begin to consider investment through development of infrastructure, input, budgetary allocation and funding for farmers.


He said the establishment of the rice mill was a journey that started four years ago when it was discovered that the state was cultivating only 30 hectares of farm land per annum, saying it was double to 250 hectares within two years while it has a set target to increase production to 500 hectares.


He urged the Federal Government to release land in Ogun River Basin to enable it increase its production and meet the facility processing capacity while directing the state ministry of works and Infrastructure, energy and commerce and industry to ensure the development of good road network, constant power supply and improve infrastructure within the industrial estate.


Speaking at the forum, Tijani commended the state government for the development of the infrastructure which he described as government’s response in meeting the aspirations of the electorate.


He said governance “is all about responding to those who elected you. The development was in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda of food security through improve agriculture in the country.


“We have to start to produce more rice, we cannot continue to depend on rice importation from countries such as Thailand and Indian, but we have to start now to produce what we can eat.


“Lagos was among the few states in Nigeria that is championing this course while assuring of the support of the Federal government to improve commercial agriculture. We will do more in Lagos when it comes to commercial activity to make food sufficient and improve our value chain.”


Earlier, Lawal said the factory built with Korean Technology to the highest technological and operational standards can process rice which would compare with the best quality rice from any part of the world.


He added that the facility, if operated optimally could produce between 350,000 and 400,000 bags of rice per year.


He said the target of the state was to increase local rice production and enhance food security, saying the country presently depends largely on Thailand and Pakistan for rice which according to him, increases the food security risk level.

aribisala0: Unveiled yes. How many tonnes of rice have been milled as of today 26 October. that is the koko. It is not unveiling the bride that the granmother is after it is grandchildren

Even a photo of ONE bag of rice from this mill would be nice

aribisala0: Those pictures have been displayed ON NAIRALAND before and there was a good debate.
I asked two questions for a simple test. I knew You would ignore the more important one and answer the obvious.
The issue is not for me,about Tinubu save that for your usual combatants. The issue for me is
"There is no credit in doing the wrong thing well"

should government be doing this and how efficient is it. I know for a fact of several government farms in Lagos that have been mismanaged with their produce stolen.There is one at Itamaga in Ikorodu it is NOW in private hands,why it failed under government.It was transferred in Fashola's watch. I don't blame him. It failed long ago but if he cannot revive that why should we believe going to other states will change the fundamental problem which is not an ACN or PDP issue. The Lagos state civil service are quite inefficient and corrupt and this is very much the case in the agricultural sector. I do not believe Lagos State can manage these ventures efficiently based on their track record. Lagos State whether ACN or PDP.

By the way my question was HOW MANY TONNES HAVE been milled to date. We know that those bags on display were milled from imported rice as part of a test run. Surely they would not not commission it without testing it??Those pictures were published on the day of commissioning.What has happened since. What is the average capacity utilization and does it make economic sense. These questions are normal analytic questions anyone would ask. Quite why they must be taken personally is a big mystery

Even a photo of ONE bag of rice from this mill would be nice