Lagos State government has commenced construction of a one-kilometre drainage system within the premises of the Ikorodu Fish farm estate in Odogunyan to address the issues that may arise from flooding and its many impacts.
The State Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, disclosed this at the weekend, while on an inspection tour of the Farm Estate, saying that the construction of the drainage system would go a long way in improving the productivity of the Farm Estate as crop growth rates and fish production would be maximized.
According to her, the drainage system would be used to control water bodies, prevent ponding, gather excess water from the land area as well as bring the water away from the farm to the outlet point where the water is led out of the area into the canal.
“We are here at the Odonguyan Fish Farm Estate owned by the Lagos State government. We found it imperative to inspect the Fish Farm Settlement since we invested a whole lot of money in this place so we wanted to see how far we have gone with some of the projects we have going on. As you can see behind us here, there is a drainage project going on to help mitigate the impacts of flooding within the Estate.
“In the past, we had this whole place flooded; water from the road came down into the estate affecting crop production and fish production.
“With this one-kilometre drainage, this will be a thing of the past and we hope that our farmers will be happy with this kind of initiative from the government and the administration of Governor Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu,” the commissioner stated.
She assured that upon completion of the drainage system, there would be an increase in the yield potentials of the Fish Farm Estate, a reduction in viable and machinery costs, and a properly aerated soil which would be conducive for plants to thrive.
The commissioner said the need to construct the drainage arose from information gathered when the ministry carried out an appraisal of farm estates and settlements in the state in order to obtain comprehensive data on their status and production level with a view to taking appropriate steps to increase their productivity.
ALSO READ:Â Two die, over 100 houses, farm products destroyed as rain wreaks havoc in Zamfara
According to her, the appraisal was imperative to achieve the goal of the state government to upgrade and improve the existing farm estates and settlements across Lagos State
She said this was done to achieve cutting edge agricultural technologies initiatives and interventions in order to ensure that they operate optimally in line with global best practices.
She added that a water plant had also been constructed within the premises of the estate to help the farmers in the area of water supply to facilitate a reduction in the cost of fish production.
“The ministry has also constructed a water plant within the Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate in order to supply water to the 194 plots in the estate to complement the existing water scheme in the estate. The project will facilitate a reduction in the cost of fish production by N700,000.00 per annum per allottee, as allottees will not need to sink boreholes on their respective plots.
“This will translate to a reduction in operational expenses such as energy and maintenance cost among others. The water project will also increase fish production from 10,000 tons per annum to 16,200 tons per annum as maximal stocking will be achieved,” she asserted.
Speaking on the network of roads in the estate, Olusanya revealed that a lot was being done by the state government to ensure that movement within the estate was unhindered.
“We will be giving a lot more intervention now and in the future but we also need our farmers to understand that it is only when taxes and levies are paid that we can continue to support in terms of infrastructure. It has to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
“That mutually beneficial relationship has to be properly balanced for it to be a win-win situation. Under the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we want to assure our producers that we will continue to give them maximum support to ensure that the enabling environment created is beneficial to everyone,” the commissioner said.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
North May Back Atiku In 2023 — Yakassai •Says APC should pick Southerner as presidential candidate •‘Tinubu better than Buhari who has no plan’
IF former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, contests for the presidency in the next general election in 2023, the majority of the votes from the North will go to him, elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has said. Yakassai, a former Liaison Officer to former President Shehu Shagari, described both Abubakar and former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, as potential 2023 presidential contenders…
Buhari Suspends Babalakin As UNILAG Pro-Chancellor, Sacks Acting Vice-Chancellor
President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, over the lingering crisis…
‘I Lived As A Beggar. I Begged To Eat, I Begged To Wear Clothes, I Even Begged To Put My Head Under A Roof’
EMMANUELLA Udeh had just finished peeling melon inside the one-storey building she lives in when Saturday Tribune called. Surrounded by a calm environment in Emene, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, the 39-year-old paraplegic recounted her experience since she was disengaged as a beneficiary of N-Power, a scheme set up by the Federal Government to address the issues of youth unemployment and…
We Pay N250,000 Bribe Per Trip, Lagos Truck Owners Cry Out
On Monday last week, the Lagos State government staved off a planned strike by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTDA) in the state over alleged extortion of its members by security operatives and hoodlums in the course of conducting their lawful business…
It’s Sad That Public Servants Depreciate Immediately After Retirement —Osun Ex-HoS, Akinwusi
I must tell you that I am one of the saddest people around because having served the government for a good part of one’s life, 35 years, and retiring with nothing to take home is disheartening. Even when such people were still in the active service, their monthly earnings were not sufficient for them. Before I became the HoS, I was always challenged when I saw people retire and discovered that the quality of their lives depreciated…
El-Rufai’s Humiliation And Mamman Daura’s Curious London Trip
The rescission of the invitation extended to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to speak at the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as a consequence of sustained social media pressures from people who are discomfited by his history of intolerance and verbal terrorism against his own people will inflict tremendous violence on the governor’s psychic wellbeing…