By Adedapo Adesanya
Lagos State Government is planning to establish a 500-hectare coconut plantation estate to boost production.
This was disclosed by the General Manager, Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, Mr Dapo Olakulehin, in Lagos on Thursday, explaining that the estate would be dedicated to planting, processing and packaging coconut.
Mr Olakulehin said that the agency was working to secure 500 hectares of land for the take-off of the project.
He said that the coconut estate would be similar to the fish estate and poultry estate already established in the state.
“This initiative is to establish a coconut plantation estate which will be dedicated solely for coconut production for players in the value chain.
“One hundred per cent what we will have there is the coconut value chain.
“This is one of the initiatives we are working on this year,” he said.
Coconut is one of the major cash crops in Lagos state, producing over 80 per cent of the country’s annual production of 285,200 metric tons, which recently earned the state the 19th position in the world coconut producing countries.
With continued efforts in harnessing the full potential of the tree crop and generating revenue from coconut, the state is seeking to increase its level where it current accesses 20 per cent of its potential.
The government is seeking to do this through rehabilitation and production efforts in upstream and processing; utilisation and commercialisation downstream.
In addition, the state is increasing its collaboration that will see it guarantee the development of quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being.
