Lagos assures residents of availability of LAKE rice across state.

The Lagos State Government has assured its residents of the availability of LAKE rice across the state.

Government says the LAKE rice will be made available at designated retail outlets, high-end markets, super markets, open markets and stores in large quantities at no extra cost.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau gave this assurance while reviewing distribution report of the product. He stated that t he attention of the State government has been drawn to the skyrocketing price of other rice products in the market and as such it rests on the government to ensure an all year round availability of LAKE rice to residents at affordable prices.

Mr Suarau said;

“You will recall that it was in a bid to ensure availability of LAKE Rice product to the nooks and crannies of Lagos that the State Government sought the participation of major rice distributors, shopping malls and supermarkets in the distribution and marketing of the product in the State”

While also assuring residents that the LAKE rice product will continue to maintain its quality and price and will always go through different quality analysis assessment before being released to the market for consumption, the Commissioner noted that the ultimate goal of the State government on production and marketing of LAKE rice is to stop importation of rice and ensure that only locally produced rice is consumed by residents.

Going further, he said;

“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 and wholesome and the prices still remain the same to ensure affordability for residents.”

Suraru explained further that various measures have been put in place by government to protect the price and avoid adulteration so that the aim of the government in ensuring availability and affordability of the product will not be defeated stressing that part of the measures includes constituting a committee which will strictly monitor the product in the market.

He opined that with the various agricultural initiatives, programmes and projects’ being implemented by government including the promotion and distribution of locally produced rice, the State is on its way to become a food secured place.