Lagos State government has inaugurated Eko Farmers APPEALS Cooperative Multipurpose Society and three Agro-Processing centres facilitated by the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project to boost farmers’ productivity and ensure food security in the state.
The commissioner for agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya commissioned Eko Farmers APPEALS Cooperative Multipurpose Society and Frozen Catfish Cottage Industry in Agege where APPEALS Project supported Lagos State Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria with Blast freezers, Deep freezers and generator sets to encourage value addition through production of frozen catfish .
The commissioner, who reiterated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to food security in Lagos State, also inaugurated a Cottage Broiler Processing Centre at Itamaga and an Egg Aggregation Centre at Erikorodo, both in Ikorodu.
Speaking during the inauguration of the four projects, Olusanya, who was accompanied by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae and Lagos State coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, sought partnership and support between the government and farmers, especially the poultry farmers for wholesale processed chicken products and to completely bring to an end the importation of chickens and other foods.
Olusanya also stressed the importance of supporting Nigeria’s agricultural food chain and the farming community to meet the demands of Lagos, the most populous state in Nigeria, noting that Lagos APPEALS Project has impacted thousands of farmers in the State in the aquaculture, poultry and rice value chains.
The commissioner said the Eko Farmers APPEALS Cooperative Multipurpose Society is a good platform that will help farmers with second-level financing and urged them to make good use of it.
She said the state government will work collaboratively with farmers in different sectors, value chains, and clusters to address the needs of Lagosians and provide substantial support to local farmers.
Earlier, the state coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo said the Cottage Broiler Processing Centre at Itamaga and an Egg Aggregation Centre at Erikorodo, Ikorodu were provided for the farmers based on assessment needs to improve their productivity.
Sagoe-Oviebo, while urging the farmers to make good use of the facilities provided by the Lagos APPEALS Project, said the broiler processing centre will address the issue of foreign exchange in importing chicken from abroad and reduce the cost of production for local production.
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