Speeches

Inaugural Farmers Appreciation Day

Apr 29, 2010 - I am indeed delighted to present this address today at this inaugural Farmers' Appreciation Day which marks another milestone in our pioneering venture towards ensuring Food Security in Lagos State.

The Farmers' Appreciation Day is organized with the main aim of appreciating the efforts of the farmers/fisher folks in the State, to reinforce the profitability of farming as a venture, and to give participatory opportunity to the rural communities in our democratic experience.

It has often been wrongly perceived that because of the high value of Lagos land for real estate development, our State is not a viable participator in Agriculture. Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth.

As you are aware, the first item on our 10-¬point Development Agenda is Food Security, and when I sought for your votes in 2007, I explained that we would participate in farming in our area of comparative advantage such as fishing, marine agriculture generally, poultry farming, vegetable farming, rice farming and animal husbandry.

I am happy to say that this Administration has been faithful to this Agenda by giving the sector as much attention as it has required. Capital allocation to the sector has been increased by more than 1,000% from less than N100 mllion per annum to over N1billion in 2009.

This year, the allocation to the Agricultural sector exceeds N2 billion on the aggregate if Multilateral projects funding in the sector is added.

I want to assure the people of our State that several projects and programmes initiated by this Administration in areas where we have comparative advantage would move us towards the desired goal of availability of food all year round and at affordable prices.

Currently, we have increased the production of rice in the State in the last 2 (two) years from cultivation of 20 hectares to 250 hectares and the plan is not only to increase it to 500 hectares, but to use science to increase the yield per hectare and develop large scale processing and storage sites.

As I said, it is erroneous to believe that Lagos State is not agrarian and has no practicing farmers because the existence of over 300,000 farming families existing in Epe, Ikorodu, Lekki, Alimoso, Ojo and Badagry areas of the State and specializing in capture fisheries, livestock production with emphasis on poultry as well as arable crops production with emphasis on vegetable is overwhelming evidence of the agrarian nature of our State and the significant contribution of our rural dwellers to the growth of the economy.

Despite our involvement in Agriculture, the State was challenged with respect to our food security in the past few months. I want to request our farmers to double their efforts in increasing productivity towards attaining self sufficiency level most especially in the areas of fisheries, poultry and vegetable.

I also urge all citizens of the State to cultivate the habit of having homestead gardens in each house to provide some food and greenery. This Administration has put in place necessary facilities that would assist you all in achieving food security i10 the State, and we will soon be implementing our strategic micro finance support scheme for rural dwellers for agriculture.

We are also working with various interest groups who bring food supplies to Lagos under our national strategic partnership' to eliminate unauthorized levies and charges that have raised the cost of food items. The leaders of these associations have assured me that food prices can come down if this happens and I will be meeting with them soon to receive and implement the report of the Committee I set up.

We are also thinking long term and we plan to apply to other States who have land for farming to allocate to us to own and operate farms there. If other States can own land as guest houses and liaison offices in our State, I believe that as a matter of reciprocity we can own and operate farms in other States.

Our people say that “bi ebi ba ti kuro ninu ise, ise buse" but I want to assure you that your Government will not only strive to feed the populace but will continue to make committed efforts towards reducing poverty by supporting farming communities through several projects such as the Fadama Project.

Having successfully implemented the World Bank assisted Fadama II project valued at about N1 billion, we have had no difficulty in approving the participation of the State in the third phase which commenced in 2009. The N650 million project will provide pilot assets, rural infrastructure, inputs and capacity building for farmers statewide and today marks the official launching of the project.

In order to move farming beyond the subsistence level to real business, we have approved the participation of the State as one of the six participating in the Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) that would assist small and medium scale farmers to remove their production constraints in the area of energy, roads, technology acquisition and market development. The CADP project will commit about W 1 billion annually for the next five years.

Similarly, we are training 1,000 youths, under the Agriculture Youth Empowerment Scheme, "Agric Yes" in the use of the most contemporary farming skills and - techniques in collaboration with our partners from Israel along the models of the world famous Israeli kibbutz farming settlements.

I am happy to announce that the first 200 new age, new breed, next generation farmers have completed their training and are about to graduate.

The collaboratory efforts of the Private sector is epitomized at the Ikorodu Fish Farm and Piggery Estates which are the first of its kind in Nigeria and the other estates for Vegetable and Fisheries that will commence operations soon. The Agricultural Input Supply Agency has also been re-capitalized to provide quality input at affordable rates to our farmers and fishermen.

In order to reduce the drudgery of farming most especially among the ageing farmers, the State will be distributing 51 tractors to Cooperatives at 60% of its cost for operation on commercial basis. This will complement the efforts at servicing the small holder farmers by the State Tractor Hiring Unit.

Equally, we have approved the participation of the State in the IFAD assisted. Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) which will improve the access of small holder farmers to credit at friendly terms in addition to the window established through the Central Bank of Nigeria for a W50 billion credit to the agricultural sector in the State. I have confidence that the beneficiaries of the various interventions will be faithful to the goal of attaining Food Security in the State. I assure you that the Government will continue to provide the enabling environment for your investment to grow rewardingly.

I seize this opportunity to thank all farmers in the State for their efforts at providing food and fiber for the citizen most especially those of you that were recognized today. I urged you all to see this recognition as a call to service by doing more work to ensure availability of food at affordable price on the common man's table.

Ladies and gentlemen, It therefore gives me pleasure to officially launch the Fadama III and CADP projects in the State with the distribution of pilot assets, tractors with implement, material inputs, micro-credit and fishing inputs as well as approvals for roads, energy and other infrastructure valued at about W 1 billion to the glory of God and Food Security of the State.

I hope the beneficiaries would reciprocate the kind gestures of this Administration positively by supporting it at all times and through fulfillment of their tax obligations.

In conclusion, I want to thank you all for your support, understanding and being there for us always. I congratulate you for this splendid occasion and pray for continued sustenance.

Thank you and God bless.

Eko o ni baje o.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State