An investment of N4.840 billion is projected by the Lagos State government in agricultural value chain towards boosting food security in 2020.
This fresh investment is being expected, as the state government has empowered over 4O youth fish farmers in sea caging culture system, with the target to crop at least 40,000 fishes within the next four months.
The cage culture system is one of the ways being championed by the government to maximise the benefits of the abundance of water resources in the state. Already, the youth farmers, mostly from Afowo Community in Badagry, have been given 40 cages of 1,000 juvenile catfish per cage under the cage culture project.
Gbolahan Lawal, state commissioner for agriculture, who visited fish farm settlement on Wednesday, said the cage culture system would add to increase fish supply, as well as reduce the foreign exchange spent on fish importation.
“The cage culture farming is an economical use of open water to develop aquaculture and improve nutrition. I am happy and satisfy that the local community has embraced this initiative.
Lawal noted that the caging project was a continuous one with farming sites in the riverine areas of the state, including Eti-Osa, Ikorodu, Ojo and Epe local government areas.
Meanwhile, to ensure self-sustenance in staple foods and expansion programme in rice production, Agric Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric YES), animal husbandry and root crops as well as our collaboration with other states in the federation, the government, according to Sam Egube, commissioner for economic planning and budget, will this year, be injecting N4.840 billion into the agricultural sector.
JOSHUA BASSEY
