The Lagos State Government has thrown its weight behind farmers in an attempt to boost rice production in the state.
Lagos partnered with the South-West Agricultural Company to have a progress of the rice value chain within the length and breadth of the state.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, revealed that the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and SWAgCO.
Fashola said that the Mou will assist the state rice farmers in skill development and sundry capacity-building.
He said, “The MoU is not only vital but also germane to the progress of the rice value chain within the length and breadth of the state. Lagos needs to produce at least 40 per cent of the paddy needed at the Imota Rice Mill and to achieve this lofty goal, SWAgCo will assist the state rice farmers in skill development and sundry capacity-building.
“Our team and SWAgCO will be meeting with the rice farmers across various divisions of the state and the state’s 500 hectares of land at Eggua, Ogun State, as well as other rice fields spread across Lagos will also be utilised to achieve the goals.
“The success of the pilot phase conducted in the Badagry division with 100 hectares with the rice farmers earlier has led credence to the workability of the innovative ideas the collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture and SWAgCO will birth.”