Agriculture development in Lagos State

WORLD BANK APPROVES THE CONSTRUCTION OF FARM ACCESS ROADS IN LAGOS

Ten farm access roads have been approved for intervention by the World Bank for Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) in Lagos State.

This is sequel to the advertisement of farm access road contracts in Thisday Newspaper and The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday 12^th October 2010. The roads were divided into 10 Lot for which 20 bids were received and the Bid opening ceremony for the contract was held on the 11^th of November. 2010.

Evaluation of bids and submission of reports were carried out from the 18^th - 20^th and 22^nd – 24^th November, 2010 which led to the award of contracts for the construction of Ten (10) farm access roads across the state

PS, Ministry of Agric. & Cooperatives; Dr. Olajide Basorun, SPC, CADP; Mr. Bolaji Balogun and the management team of the ministry during a site inspection to a farm access road site at Badagry.

PROJECT RESULTS OF THE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

With the demonstration on live birds transportation using the improved transporting cages as against wooden cages over 20 beneficiaries have adopted and are now using these cages (130 No) in the State.

An estimated 8000 cockerels / broilers valued at N9,600,000 and about 9000 Old layer  valued at over N7.5 million are being transported with these new cages.

Over five hundred (500) farmers are now using various improved technologies disseminated with increased productivity. The technologies include fish feed extrusion technology, hybridization technology and transportation of live and finished chicken using improved cages etc.

A total of 48 Sub Projects spread across the three value chains (Aquaculture, Poultry and Rice) had been implemented till date to the tune of over N83 million among 513 direct beneficiaries and 7595 indirect Beneficiaries.

Farmers who had benefitted from project intervention especially the matching grants had produced the following results under the different value chains: a total of 28 MT of paddy rice (averaged at 14.2 MT) was recorded under the Rice value chain, over 59 MT (averaged at over 5MT) of fish harvested and over 450,000 Fingerlings/Juveniles sold (averaged at over 75,000 No ) and over 50,000 crates of eggs ( averaged at over 4,900 crates per month/farm) from the Poultry value chain.

As a fall out of the Interaction of the State CIGs representatives with Commercial farmers in Kaduna during the 4^th Bi Monthly meeting in Kano, a total of 60 MT of maize valued at over N3 million were bought directly from Kaduna by Poultry CIGs in Ikorodu while on the other about 2000 crates of eggs valued at about N1.3 million had equally been sold to these farmers in Kaduna.

 With the knowledge acquired during the training on Group Dynamics and Record Keeping organized by SCADO, Palm Commercial Poultry CAMS, Aiyedoto, one of the 36 registered GIGs in Aiyedoto Farm Settlement had on its own developed a fund mobilization and credit facility for members of the Group. Soft loans of N90,000 had been benefitted by 3 members till date.

Poultry drugs and vaccines valued at about N50,000 were bought by the group and  sold to members of the settlement. 

From knowledge acquired during the demonstration on packaging and labeling of agricultural product organized by the State Office with input from Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), a member of Blessed Gracelead Processors CAMS was able to secure a single order for 30 smoked fish hampers valued at about N900,000.

In the same vein, another member of All A’s also has an order for about 1000 Turkey hampers valued at about N15 million during the Xmas.