The Lagos state government has called on the residents to embrace subsistence farming by growing different crops within their homes to cushion the high cost of food items in the state.

Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings.

Abisola Olusanya, the state commissioner for agriculture and food systems, made the call at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

Ms Olusanya urged Lagos residents to embrace subsistence farming to boost food security.

“We call on Lagos residents to get into some kind of urban farming. Grow something in your home that you can eat; it helps lessen the burden as a society,” the commissioner said.

The commissioner also cleared the air on reasons for the name change of the ministry.

Ms Olusanya said one of the reasons behind the addition of food systems to the name of the ministry was for improved service delivery.

She said that food systems was added to cover all the value chain in the sector beyond farming.

The commissioner disclosed that livestock services, agricultural produce safety and quality control departments had been created within the ministry due to the name change.

“The reasons for these departments are also not farfetched because we are in the process of having a feedlot.

“We know Lagos as the hub for food marketing, but also the fact that when it comes to sheep and goats, Lagos still remains the epicentre of where these particular livestock are sold and processed and consumed.

“So for that reason, we felt it is essential to have a Livestock Services Department. We still have the Veterinary Services Department, which is more about animal health.

“For the Engineering Department, we procured some tractors and other implements as far back as 2021 during our Enterprise Activation Programme.

“We have been utilising it, but we will be having more because of our partnership with sister states.

“There will be a lot more investment around mechanisation to aid crop production, so we thought it was essential,” Ms Olusanya said.

On the distribution of food palliatives to residents, she assured residents of transparency without bias for religion, party affiliation or ethnicity.

Ms Olusanya said the state would ensure transparency in the distribution of the federal government rice to states whenever it arrives.

She said 500,000 beneficiaries had benefited from the state’s palliative, including rice, garri and beans.

Ms Olusanya said that the palliatives were distributed to the beneficiaries through the community development associations across the state monitored by civil society, religious groups and labour unions.

(NAN)