Agric Sector Contributed N7tn to Lagos GDP in Two Years, Says Commissioner

Segun James

Lagos State government has disclosed that the agriculture sector contributed over N7 Trillion to the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last two years, even as she said not less than 10,000 heads of cattle are slaughtered in the State daily.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, who made this known during a ministerial press briefing on the activities of her ministry in the last year, also said the State government was working in collaboration with other states to ensure that 200,000 tonnes of paddy required at Imota Rice Mill were met.

According to Olusanya, “In Nigeria, agriculture contributes 25 per cent to the national GDP, but in Lagos, agriculture has contributed no less than N7 trillion in the last couple of years to the Lagos economy.

“This is to tell you that we have the potential, there is opportunity. We will not relent in terms of making it better.”

On the production of red meat in the State, she said not less than 10,000 heads of cattle are slaughtered daily in the State.

While reiterating availability of data, the Commissioner stated, “There are so many loopholes. A lot of people take advantage of these loopholes. This is why we will be taking advantage of the logistics hub in Epe.

“Lagos slaughters not less than 10,000 heads of cattle daily, these include what is slaughtered in our barracks.”

She explained that as part of measures to control and preserve meat, the state government would by next week inaugurate 50 vans of meat at the Oko-Oba abattoir.

Speaking on the production of rice, Olusanya maintained that, “Lagos State is the largest consumer of rice in the country with an estimated consumption of about two Million metric tonnes per annum.

“The Lagos Rice Mill is two lines of 16MTPH integrated mill sited on 8.5 hectares of land at Imota. The rice mill can produce 2.4 million bags of 50 kg bags of Rice yearly using 200,000 Metric tonnes of paddy annually.

“The mill is part of the government’s commitment towards ensuring food security in the State which is a key component of the T.H.E.M.E.S + Development Agenda of Mr. Governor to make Lagos State a 21st Century economy.”

Special Adviser on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, further explained that because of the large number of people who consume rice, the state government was in partnership with some states on supply of paddy.

“Because of the size of rice needed, Mr. Governor signed an MoU with Niger State being the largest producer of paddy in the country.

“The Imota rice mill needed 200,000 tonnes of paddy. The partnership with other states is to ensure the sustainability of production. We extend our hand of fellowship to all the South-west States.

“If we have 20 per cent of paddy from Lagos, other South-west states will give 40 per cent. There is no single state that can give us all. Once there is paddy we know the production of rice will be sustained.”