Agriculture
KANO State Government has commended efforts of its Lagos State counterpart in tackling food security in the country, following its recent launch of Agricultural Roadmap.
Mr Anthony Oneya, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje on Lagos Affairs, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
Oneya also harped on the need for all states in the country to emulate the Lagos state government in its approach toward achieving food security.
“The Lagos state government has taken the right approach towards agricultural sustainability through its recently launched five-year agriculture roadmap.
“If each state adopts what the Lagos state government is doing, then we will be on the path to achieving food security in Nigeria.
“Our aim is to replicate the same agricultural partnership that exists between Kebbi and Lagos state, where Lagos sponsors the entire rice farming process in Kebbi while Kebbi provided the necessary manpower.
“The agriculture roadmap for Lagos is going to reduce the prices of food items in local markets,’’ the special assistant said.
He pointed out that the rising cost of food prices across the country was attributable to the cost of transportation.
According to him, the situation can be tackled through the Lagos State Agricultural Roadmap plan.
He called for the employment of more farmers in Lagos to cut down the rising cost of food prices.
“The recent food price hike across the country is largely due to the increasing cost of transporting them to different markets.
“One thing the Kano state government is trying to achieve, in cutting down the prices of the food items, was to bypass the middlemen and get the food directly to the consumers.’’
Oneya cited that the spring onions sold around the Iyana-Iba axis of the state were cheaper than that sold at Mile 12 because the former was grown within the state while the latter was transported.
“We also have farmers cultivating crops at border towns around Lagos.
“So it is easier and cheaper to transport food items grown close by.
“It will be more beneficial to get farmers from other parts of the country to cultivate crops in Lagos, than incurring the high cost of transportation and subsequent increment in food prices,’’ NAN quotes him as saying.
The aide added that the Kano State government has begun plans to resuscitate the famous Kano groundnut pyramids to ensure agriculture sustainability. (NAN)
– MAY 06, 2021 @ 16:39 GM
Tags: KNSG applauds Lagos on agricultural roadmap
