Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya has disclosed that the state government will sell 50kg bags of rice at N20, 000 to residents of the state at the Eko City Farmers’ Fair and Appreciation Day.
She said about 100, 000 bags of rice and other farm produce brought directly from the farm is expected to be sold to Lagosians during the fair, which is scheduled to hold today at the Ndubusi Kanu Park in Alausa, Ikeja.
Olusanya who made this known in a statement said this is as a result of the intervention of the State government in collaboration with the Federal and Kebbi state Governments.
She explained that the Eko City Farmers’ Fair is intended to increase productivity of farmers as well as create an avenue for inclusive business where farmers make more profit since they are selling directly to consumers.
Olusanya noted that the Fair, which would further help to upgrade and connect the agricultural supply chain with their markets, would be a platform for the best of the city’s producers to meet with consumers and end-users, using the traditional and innovative development methods to showcase a well organised high-quality market to meet the consumers’ increasing demand for farm produce.
The Commissioner pointed that the objectives of the market are to connect producers and make shopping entertaining; as well as make products accessible and affordable to consumers in order to preserve the nutritional value of farm produce and to promote the “farm to fork” concept of the input and output policy of the State Government.
“On Sunday, 20th December 2020, the State will be hosting the Christmas edition of the Eko City Farmers’ Fair where Lagosians can shop for their fresh farm produce at affordable prices.
“The event which will hold at the Ndubusi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja will also include a short ceremony to appreciate our farmers who have done everything in their power to ensure that we did not negatively feel the impacts of the corona virus on our food supplies,” Olusanya averred.
Olusanya further noted that farmers in the state lacked direct access to markets, a situation that has led to them selling their produce to middlemen at rather ridiculous farm gate prices adding that the Eko City Framers’ Fair would help in eradicating this.
“Farmers in the State lack direct access to markets and this led to the selling of their produce to middlemen at ridiculous farm gate prices. Farmers that are able to penetrate the market find it difficult to break through cartels by the market associations. Therefore, they are forced to sell at the association dictated prices. These challenges have restricted many of the farmers to subsistent production,” Olusanya asserted.
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guardian