Feed Millers, Livestock Farmers Get Sorghum, Maize Supply From Lagos Govt
IBUKUN IGBASAN
About 15 feed millers and several farm settlements in Badagry and Ikorodu about have collected about 3,300 tonnes of maize and 900 tonnes of sorghum from the Lagos Government as the state ramps up support to avert food insecurity in the years ahead.
The distributed commodities came from the consignment from the federal government during the Covid-19 lockdown to assist business owners in the agro-allied sector survive the virus damaging effect.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many businesses including those in the agriculture and its allied, crippling their financial capabilities to be an ongoing concern.
The State Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, explained that farm settlements and estates that had benefited from the scheme include those in the Ikorodu farm settlement comprising Odogunyan, Imota, and Ajara farm settlement, while those in Badagry include Araga farm settlement
“Others are Agbowa GFS/NDE estate, Epe; Igboye farm settlement, Epe; Poultry estates at Erikorodo, Ikorodu and Ayedoto in Ojo; Piggery estates at Gberigbe, Ikorodu and Oke-Aro; Arable Crop estate, Agbowa, Epe.
Also included are the Vegetable Estate, Yafm, Badagry; and Fish Farm Estates at Odogunyan, Ikorodu; and Ketu Ereyun in Epe.
She explained that the smallholder private livestock farmers such as the Sheep and Goat farmers, and the Lagos Chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria among others also benefitted.
According to the acting commissioner, the initiative is to assist feed millers to save time and money spent on searching for quality maize and reduce wastage of ingredients during production. This is also in addition to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the farmers and to also boost agricultural production.
Olusanya also explained that the injection of these ingredients into the feed mill industry would have a multiplier effect on the input and output of feed millers and, consequently, on food production.
She said: “The distribution of these ingredients to feed millers and farm settlements in the state will lead to a significant reduction in the production costs, production of quality feeds and consequently the availability of quality food to Lagosians.
“Nigeria’s animal feed sector remains underdeveloped, largely due to high production costs; 70 percent of the operational costs of most poultry, aquaculture and other livestock operations go to feed.
“The animal feed sector at over $2 billion, continues to attract significant local and foreign investments in large scale feed mill operations.
“Apart from ensuring that quality and affordable feeds are produced, this distribution will also help our feed millers and other key actors in the animal feed industry to produce feed according to the recommended standard.
“It is important to note that the overall aim here is to produce good quality feeds for our animals which will in effect help livestock and animal farmers to generate low mortalities but stimulate high productivity.
“It will also help them produce a high rate of return on investments, produce quality food for Lagosians, sustain the industry’s integrity while encouraging more investors to support the animal feed industry,” Olusanya said.
She said that the distribution was coming on the heels of the empowerment of 650 farmers in the state with maize seeds for the new planting season.
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of these inputs to improve the animal feed industry, adding that it would go a long way in rearing healthy animals and in return produce quality food for Lagosians
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