FG sets up panel to reduce price of food

The Federal Government has set up a task force to address the rising cost of food items in the country.

The panel was set up on Wednesday, February 1, after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

Details of the task force and its proposed assignments were disclosed by Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed after the meeting.

“We considered several memos and approvals were given and the major highlight council resolved to set up task force on food security,” Mohammed said.

“Government is quite concerned about the rising cut of food items and the fact that more often than not even when these products are available if it does reach the market there are sold at very exorbitant prices.

“So, the government has set up task force on food security to ensure that an end is put to the wastages that occur and with tons and tons of produce sitting down in the farms rotting or in the markets getting rotten. It’s an inter-ministerial committee made up of the ministers of agriculture, finance, water resources, transportation.

“The important thing is to look at what areas of intervention can the government make. The intervention can be in the area of subsidy in transportation, that is being worked out but this goes to show that government is very much concern the rising cost of food price and we are responding to it,” he added.

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Members of the Task Force include Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Industry, Trade & Development, Dr. Okey Enelamah; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister for Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.