Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya has said that the December edition of the Eko City Farmers Fair and Appreciation Day will hold on Sunday, 20th of December, 2020.
Speaking with newsmen on the preparation for the Fair, the Commissioner explained that the event would enable Lagosians to shop for all farm produce at farmgate prices and buy rice at N20,000 per 50Kg bag, a result of the collaboration of the State with the Federal and Kebbi State Governments, adding that about 100,000 bags of 50kg rice are projected for sale to Lagosians during the festive period at N20,000 per bag.
Olusanya noted that the Fair, which would take place at the Ndubusi Kanu Park in Alausa, Ikeja, would further help to upgrade the agricultural supply chain by connecting all value chains with markets.
She opined that the Farmers Fair would be a platform for the best of the city’s producers to meet with consumers and end-users using the traditional and innovative development methods to showcase a well organised, high-quality market to meet the consumers’ increasing demand for farm produce.
In her words: “On Sunday, 20th December 2020, the State will be hosting the Christmas edition of the Eko City Farmers Fair where Lagosians can shop for their fresh farm produce at affordable prices at the Ndubusi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja”.
“The event will also include a short ceremony to appreciate our farmers, who have done everything in their power to ensure that we did not negatively feel the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on food supplies. It will also be a platform for the best of the city’s producers to meet with consumers and end-users using the traditional and innovative development methods to showcase a well organised, high-quality market to meet the consumers’ increasing demand for farm produce”, Olusanya averred.
She pointed out that the objectives of the market are to connect producers and make shopping entertaining; to make products accessible and affordable to consumers; to preserve the nutritional value of farm produce and to promote the “farm to fork” concept of the input and output policy of the State Government.
The Commissioner noted that farmers in the State lack direct access to markets, a situation that has led to the sale of their produce to middlemen at rather ridiculous farmgate prices, adding that the Eko City Farmers Fair would help in eradicating this.
“Farmers in the State lack direct access to markets, and this led to the selling of their produce to middlemen at ridiculous farmgate prices. Farmers that are able to penetrate the market find it difficult to break through cartels of the market associations. Therefore, they are forced to sell at the association’s dictated prices. These challenges have restricted many of the farmers to subsistent production”, Olusanya asserted.
She explained that the Eko City Farmers Fair is intended to increase productivity of farmers, as well as create an avenue for inclusive business, where farmers make more profit since they are selling directly to consumers.