17th October, 2018
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said that it was set to introduce re-usable plastics crates to replace raffia baskets in the transportation of vegetables.
Gov. Akinwumi Ambode made the disclosure at the World Food Day ceremony tagged: “’Our Actions are Our Future: A Zero Hunger World by 2030 is Possible”, held at the Police College in Lagos.
Ambode said that the state was making efforts to ensure food security for the over 20 million people in the state, adding that effects of climate change was threatening increase in agricultural output.
“Climate Change in the form of increased intensity of heat and flood is being experienced in different countries around the world, including Nigeria.
“It has been identified as major contributing factor and threat to the achievement of global objectives on food security,” said the governor represented by Mr Tunji Bello, Secretary to the State Government.
“’The greatest challenge to achieving sustainable reduction in food shortage therefore remains our ability to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“’To develop new farming strategies and methods that can withstand the effects of climate change and apart from that, post-harvest losses and wastage is a key issue that must be addressed.
“’One of the measures we are putting in place is the encouragement of the use of re-usable plastic crates in place of raffia baskets for the carriage of perishable farm produce; this is expected to commence state-wide next year,” he said.
Mr Toyin Suarau, the Commissioner for Agriculture, said that agriculture played a central role in strategically reducing hunger and poverty.
Suarau said: “The global population is growing by the day and the task of producing enough food to meet the demand is high, especially as Lagos has been projected to be the third largest mega city of the world.
“Hence, agriculture plays a central role in strategically reducing hunger and poverty.
“Not only because it produces food, but because it creates employment and increases income for rural people,” he said.
Ms Abimbola Okoya, the Executive Director of the British-American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), said since a high percentage of agricultural produce were perishable, there would significant risks.
Okoya said small scale farmers were significant to agricultural developments, therefore, they needed to be aware of the business benefits that existed to raise their income.
“There is significant volatility in their prices and thus significant market risks.
“In addition, small scale farmers have low volumes of marketable surplus and their farms are mostly located in remote areas with poorly developed infrastructure and transportation.
“This leads them to face high transaction costs and risks in production and marketing of such commodities.
“The BATNF is bridging the gap through the World Food Day commemoration to provide a platform to expose opportunities to farmers.
“This platform will help the public to access fresh and organic farm produce and encourage farmers to switch from low quality bulk produce to high value agricultural produce,” she said.
Okoya said that BATNF’s support of the World Food Day was towards achieving the United Nations Development Goal which aimed to end hunger.
BATNF has since 2002 supported the Federal Government in agricultural developments and had so far invested N1.5 billion in supporting rural farmers of about 36,000 and targets 62,000 by 2022.
The 2018 World Food Day and Lagos Food Fair was organised by the Lagos State Government, the British American Tobacco Foundation and Stanbic IBTC Bank.
There was quiz competition organised for secondary school students across the state and Habibat Mogaji Senior Secondary School, Agege took the first position.
Evan Adebiye Senior Secondary School, Bariga took second position, while Surulere Girls Senior Secondary School took the third position.
Aisha Abinara claimed the overall best agriculture student, while the Olorunda Local Council Development Area (LCDA) clinched the overall Best Farming LCDA in the state.
The Best Agro Processor was awarded to Daily Delight Nigeria Ltd.
There were exhibitions of agricultural produce from all sectors across the value chains.