Lagos Set To Flood Market With LAKE Rice Next Year

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

All is set for Lagos State Government to flood the market with its locally produced paddy LAKE Rice from early next year. This was revealed by the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Food Security, Mr. Ganiyu Okanlawon Sanni.

Sanni dropped this hint at a press briefing, organized by the Lagos State Government Ministry of Agriculture on the proposed ‘Food security summit’, theme: “Actualising sustainable Food Security in Lagos: A New Comprehensive Agenda.”

According to him, Lagos, in partnership with Kebbi State will jerk up the production of the LAKE Rice to about 200,000 metric tonnes by 2017.

He said, “Between December and January, we should be able to deliver ‘LAKE RICE’ coined out of our Lagos and Kebbi States partnership, for which a Memorandum was recently signed by the duo.

“The state produce 2.5 metric tonnes of rice per hour prior to now, but it will be upgraded to 42.5 metric tonnes, as a 40 metric tonnes production capacity is meant to be put in place by December 2016.

“51,000 metric tonnes of Rice will be made available to Lagosians by December this year and we propose migrating to 200,000 metric tonnes through our partnership with private investors  by 2017”.

 Governor Ambode’s Special Adviser noted that commercial farmers contribute 12 percent to the state’s Gross Domestic Product.

He said the Lagos State FADAMA scheme is working on the production of Rice scheme to extend services to other states in the Southwest part of the country.

 Raising fears on the unhygienic status of  90 percent of rice consumed by Lagosians and by extension Nigerians, Okanlawon said “by the time we are done with our paddy rice from Kebbi, we will consuming nutritious wholesome rice for once in our lifetime, prior to now only 10 percent of our rice consumption is really hygienic.”

Sanni hinted further that Lagos State has also acquired 2000 hectares of land for commercial cattle fattening in Omi Adio in Oyo State.

On the proposed summit, the Special Adviser said it is intended to showcase Lagos as an haven for investment.

The summit,  proposed to hold on 10 and 11 November 2016, is set to realign emerging realities with new global trends on food safety, food processing, food storage, food handling, funding of agrobusiness and agric insurance.

“The summit is also expected to provide a veritable platform for discourse on various investment opportunities in agriculture and agro-allied business in the State with the aim of stimulating private investment in the sector and ultimately optimize its vast agro-allied potentials.