Farmers in Lagos State say improved access to land, finance, equipment and transportation can help double local food production.
They said the state could achieve its target of increasing its contribution to food consumed locally from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.
The Chairperson of Ojo Farmers Community, Mrs Mayriam Ali, stated this in an interview with reporters on Sunday in Lagos.
Ali said farmers in Ojo were already producing vegetables in significant quantities despite limited resources and other challenges.
“Lagos has enough. I am very sure that we have enough.
“The vegetable that is coming out from Ojo Local Government, 75 per cent of it is going outside the country,” she said.
She said farmers around the Lagos State University and military barracks areas were producing vegetables that could contribute more to local food supply.
According to her, vegetables are among the agricultural products Lagos could produce in large quantities for local consumption and export.
Ali said access to land, finance, machinery, irrigation and transportation remained critical to expanding agricultural production across the state.
She noted that the short production cycle of some vegetables made it possible for farmers to increase output within a relatively short period.
“Our vegetable is for three weeks. When you plant now, in three weeks you are ready to harvest.
“So it is achievable if the government comes to the field and looks at the problems we have,” she said.
Ali urged government officials responsible for agricultural programmes to visit farms regularly and identify the specific challenges facing farmers.
She said regular visits would enable the government to provide support based on actual conditions rather than relying only on general agricultural programmes.
The chairperson also called for support that would enable farmers to repay assistance received, rather than depending solely on grants.
She suggested that the government could provide equipment or finance for specific farm projects and monitor the use of such support.
Ali identified transportation as another major challenge that could limit the benefits of increased agricultural production.
She said farmers sometimes had produce ready for sale but struggled to move it from farms to markets because of high transportation costs.
She added that better arrangements for moving agricultural produce to airports and other markets could also create more opportunities for farmers.
Ali said such arrangements would ease pressure on farmers while encouraging those interested in exporting agricultural produce.
She expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between the government and farmers could help Lagos increase local food production and reduce dependence on food brought from other states.
It was reported that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had said more than 70 per cent of food consumed in Lagos was produced outside the state.
Sanwo-Olu said this on Aug. 12 at the commissioning of the Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub in Pen Cinema, Agege.
He said the state was targeting increased food production within Lagos to enable local farmers to supply a larger share of food consumed by residents.
