Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has described the dwindling oil revenue and fluctuation in the foreign exchange rates as major threat to agricultural sector, which made it expedient to encourage rural agricultural development.
Ambode Ambode made the remark, yesterday, at the grand finale of activities to commemorate 2017 World Food Day and flag off ceremony of 2017 Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment Programme, at Agege Farming Centre, Agege Local Givernment No fewer than 1140 agricultural producers were presented with various empowerment items, under the state agricultural value and empowerment programme, aimed at alleviating poverty in the state.
Some of the various agricultural enterprises, which received empowerment items, include egg marketers, piggery, butchery poultry production, vegetable production, perishable produce trading, sheep and goat production, aquaculture, fish feed input, artisanal fisheries and fish processing.
The governor, who was represented by Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, stated that the theme for this year’s World Food Day, ‘Change the Future of Migration: Invest in Food Security and Rural Development’ was apt. Earlier, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Surau stated: “This administration has made food security one of its cardinal programmes which serve as tool to poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth through agricultural development to underscore fiscal responsibility.”
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Vanguard News
