8th October, 2017
The Lagos State Government has vowed to maintain the quality of its LAKE Rice product just as it stated that the product is now available in all designated sales centres across the State.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau who disclosed this at the the weekend while reviewing report of sales of the LAKE Rice product noted that the product always go through different quality analysis assessment before being released to the market for consumption.
“Our LAKE Rice is of good quality. The major difference between LAKE Rice and imported rice is that the imported has a minimum storage of five to six years storage life span, but LAKE Rice is fresh.”
Suarau, while stating that more trailers load of LAKE Rice had arrived the Lagos and awaiting distribution to designated sales centres, said that the need to ensure availability of the product to citizens is key in the State’s drive to attain food sufficiency.
“Food production and self-sufficiency have been given priority attention at State’s policy and strategic levels, this is aimed at sustaining Lagos because our state is the largest consumer of food commodity in Nigeria”, he averred.
While reiterating the Ministry of Agriculture’s commitment to ensuring availability of the product as well as fair distribution to all sales centres, the Commissioner noted that the directive of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on continuous sales of the product will be carried out without any let or hindrances.
Suarau explained that the governor’s directive on the non-stop sale of the product is part of the strategy aimed at increasing access to the product and ensure effective distribution of the rice across the State.
He noted that a 32 metric tonne per hour rice milling plant which would become operational next year had been acquired by the state government to ensure that Lagos meets up with the demand of the LAKE Rice product.
Suarau added that Lagos was also collaborating with Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States in the area of rice production so as to ensure that adequate rice was supplied to the 32 metric tonnes per hour rice mill.
The Commissioner said residents can get the LAKE Rice product from the secretariats of 20 local government and 37 local council development areas as well as Farm Service Centre Odogunyan-Ikorodu; Farmers Mart Surulere; Agric Input Supply Authority (LAISA) Ojo; Agricultural Development Authority (ADA) Oko Oba, Agege and Lagos Television (LTV) Complex, Agidingbi-Ikeja.
Suarau, while noting that the price of the rice has not changed, stressed that State government will continue to maintain the price of the product to make it affordable to citizens. He said logistics have been put in place to ensure a hassle free purchase of the product in an atmosphere devoid of rancour in all our approved sales centres.