Lagos State government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems has unveiled another intervention to ensure food sufficiency in the state, with the launch of Ounje Eko Farmers’ Subsidy Program.
The initiative according to the government is to create more resilience food system path that will strengthen the state agricultural sector across all value chains.
Speaking at a media briefing in Alausa Ikeja, the Commissioner for the Ministry, Ms. Abisola Olusanya said that the essence of the initiative is to support communities with affordable food through a 25% subsidy on animal feeds for both poultry and fish farmers in the state, towards upscaling their productions.
Cost of Production
Olusanya maintained that the Ministry acknowledged the rising cost of production inputs for livestock and aquaculture farming and came up with the program to ameliorate the situation, thereby providing a financial relief, improve production levels, and ensure a steady supply of poultry and fish products in the markets.
She said “In recent times, poultry and fish feed alone account for over 70% of production costs, leading to reduced farm operations and, in some cases, closures. This has not only affected farmers but has also contributed to food inflation and reduced access to essential protein sources such as eggs, chicken, and fish.
“So, this initiative which also involved
tractorization services for crop production as well as distribution of bags of fertilizers to the farmers will allow farmers will pay only 75% of the cost, while the government subsidizes the remaining 25%.”
Program operations
The program is expected to run every Wednesday and will kick off on Wednesday February 5, 2025 at some designated locations in the state, and these include; Erikorodo Poultry Estate, Ikorodu, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Araga, Epe, Aiyedoto Poultry Estate, Ojo, Coconut House, Mowo, Badagry, Farm Service Center, Oko-Oba, Ikeja and Fish Farm Estate, Odongunyan, Ikorodu.
She noted that the idea was birthed after the feat recorded during the phases of Ounje Eko Discount Market introduced last year, which addressed affordability of essential food items for Lagos residents, stressing that the initiative demonstrated the government’s commitment to food security and economic stability for the citizens.
According to her “The launch of the Ounje Eko Farmers Subsidy Programme marks another milestone in our commitment to ensuring food security, stabilizing food prices, and empowering our farmers. This initiative will not only safeguard livelihoods but also reinforce Lagos State’s leadership in agricultural innovation and sustainability.”
Operating procedures
While highlighting the operating procedures of this initiative, Olusanya stated that the pre-ordering and payment processes will be managed through farmer associations to ensure transparency, while vendors will deliver pre-ordered products to market locations for verification and distribution.
She also added that the state government under Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu prioritised the needs to strengthen the overall agricultural value chain in Lagos State by supporting farmers from production to market distribution and would continue in that direction.
New patterns
The Commissioner hinted that the intervention is a deviation from past strategies where free input distribution led to diversion and inefficiencies, rather Ounje Eko Farmers’ Subsidy model will ensures accountability, and sustainable impact that will enable the integration with the Produce for Lagos Initiative and the Central Food Security and Logistics Hub.
“This initiative is a crucial step in the broader agenda to reduce over-reliance on food imports and strengthen local food production.
Lagos, as Nigeria’s economic hub, faces unique challenges in food security due to its heavy dependence on external food supplies.
Security issues in food-producing regions, supply chain disruptions, and rising production costs have all
Oyenike Oyeniyi
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