Given the nation’s present multi-billion naira rice importation bill, with Lagos State responsible for a large part, the state government has reiterated its commitment to end the dependence.
According to the permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture and co-operatives, Yakubu Olajide Bashorun, the state government will set up a 20-tonne per day rice mill to produce polished rich comparable to imported ones.
Mr Bashorun also disclosed that the state has under cultivation in its ‘Rice for Jobs’ programme over 200 hectares, employing 200 youth. He said over 1,450 hectares are presently under cultivation across the state.
Mr Bashorun also said that the government is taking seriously its commitment rehabilitate the state’s coconut-belt spanning 180km of coastline. He added that over 60,000 seedlings were being produced at the seven nurseries established by the government.
He also explained that the state government would establish a ram ranch with a capacity to produce 600 rams per cycle, to serve as a source of disease-free foundation stock for sheep and goat production. This would be expanded to 1200 rams per cycle with an outreach to outgrowers with effect from next year, he said.
According to Mr Bashorun, a component of the state’s strategic food reserve plan is the establishment of a network of farmers markets, to be deployed as prototype agro-marts at state and local government secretariats.
He reiterated that the state’s agricultural trust fund, under which practising farmers are given loans of N1 million each, has taken off. He urged the 32 beneficiaries so far to continue to service the loans.
In her remarks, the permanent secretary in the ministry of information and strategy, Oluranti Odutola, said the briefings were in line with the state government’s efforts to keep the citizens informed of its programmes and policies.
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