The Chairperson of the Ojo Farmers Community, Mrs. Mayriam Ali, has called on the government to strengthen support for farmers through mechanization, irrigation, and soft loans to boost food production in Lagos State.
Ali made this appeal during an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Lagos.
She commended the Lagos State Government for its interventions, including fertilizer distribution, farm visits, and other agricultural support programs, but emphasized that more investments are needed to address constraints limiting productivity.
According to her, the Commissioner for Agriculture regularly visits farms to assess farmers’ needs and monitor the impact of government initiatives.
“The Lagos State Government has been doing well. The commissioner visits farms and asks us what we need instead of just distributing items without oversight. We have benefited from fertilizer distribution and other support programs, and we appreciate those efforts,” she said.
Ali noted that the increasing number of farmers in Ojo requires additional support, especially in mechanization and access to modern farm equipment.
She explained that farmers spend substantial amounts hiring tractors because the available government-owned machines are insufficient.
“We need more tractors in Ojo. The cost of clearing land manually is very high. We don’t mind paying for tractor services, but there should be enough machines because the current ones cannot serve everyone,” she said.
Ali recalled that her association once spent about N300,000 to clear farmland manually when a government tractor was unavailable.
She urged the government to establish more tractor hiring centers to improve access to mechanized services.
The farmers’ leader also identified inadequate irrigation facilities as a major challenge, especially during the dry season.
She said investing in irrigation systems, pumping machines, and drainage infrastructure would enable year-round production and reduce losses caused by flooding.
Ali highlighted transportation as another critical issue, noting that many farmers struggle to move vegetables from farms to markets.
She proposed affordable vehicles dedicated to transporting farm produce to reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
Ali also advocated for soft loans tied to agricultural inputs and equipment rather than direct cash disbursements, to ensure resources are used effectively for farming activities and to enable farmers to expand production.
“If the government provides us with the equipment we actually need instead of cash, we are ready to work and increase production,” she said.
Ali appealed to the Federal Government to complement Lagos State’s efforts by providing additional support to farmers.
She emphasized that stronger collaboration between both levels of government would enhance food production, improve food security, and encourage more farmers to contribute to the agricultural sector.
According to her, farmers in Ojo are committed to increasing production if given adequate support in mechanization, irrigation, transportation, and other essential inputs.
Ali expressed optimism that sustained government intervention would motivate more farmers to expand cultivation and ensure a more stable food supply for Lagos residents.
