World Food Day: Lagos Looks For Farmers To Raise Supply To State’s Rice Mill

The Lagos State government has said it is looking for independent paddy rice farmers across Nigeria to raise paddy supply to the state-owned Imota Rice Mill.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Monday at Lagos Farm Fair — an event held at the Police College in Ikeja for the commemoration of the 2023 World Food Day.

The governor, who said the state is ready to take up any tonnage that can be supplied, called on paddy growers across the country to take advantage of the opportunity.

The 32-metric tonnes per hour rice mill, which was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January, requires 200,000 tonnes of paddy annually.

“Farming is an important component of our Government’s activities. We need to grow what we eat, and eat what we grow. While we have collaborated with some major agricultural states within the country, we are also looking for independent paddy rice farmers across the federation to raise paddy supply to Lagos Rice Mill. We need a lot of paddies to meet up with production capacity. It doesn’t matter the tonnage of paddy rice they have, we are ready to take it up. This is calling on paddy growers across the country to key into this opportunity,” he said.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the completion of the state’s Food Logistics Hub next year, would centralise food supply from the farm to the markets where consumers would buy at affordable prices, adding that the facility was being developed with capacity for long-term storage to reduce waste and loss.

He said: “It is another year of commemoration of World Food Day. For us in Lagos, it is to celebrate and appreciate our resilient farmers, while also bringing up a conversation on need to begin to ensure that food is affordable and accessible. It is important to note that the current economic situation has made the prices of food to go up, but I believe with deliberate interventions that will bring the market closer to the consumers, we can help to bring down the food prices.

“As part of our efforts, we are currently building the largest Food Logistics Hub in West Africa in addition to middle level markets we are opening across the State. By this time next year, we would have completed the first phase of the project. The Logistics Food market will be the central hub through which all farm produce will come into Lagos. The facility has cold and dry storages from which food will be supplied to the middle-level markets and where products go to the retail shops.”

Also speaking, Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, said the Farm Fair would encourage action on food insecurity, promote production and consumption of safe food.

“Not only is Lagos playing frontline role in the aqua farming industry, we are also key players in production of other crops and edible produce. This year’s commemoration of World Food Day is to come out and encourage our farmers, and create a platform for them to be aware of all the incentives and interventions we have created for them,” she said.

The event with the theme: “Water is Life, Water is Food; Leave No One Behind”, was organised by the state Ministry of Agriculture with the objective to promote awareness and action against hunger, and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for all.