Rejection of Nigerian produce in int’l market must end, says minister

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said the Federal Government is committed to putting an end to the rejection of agricultural exports from the country in the international market.
 
Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
The minister who was speaking recently in Abuja on plans to commence export of certified yams to the UK and US later this month said the government has embarked on various initiatives and interventions to ensure the success of the plan.

Describing the incidences of rejection of Nigerian commodity and produce in international markets as embarrassing, Ogbeh said government’s commitment to putting an end to the state of affairs is irrevocable.

He added that “The health of Nigerians is also paramount and the populace needs good quality food as well. There is nothing like Nigerian or local standards, but international standards to which we cannot but adhere in our local handling of food, consumption and export drive.

“This necessitated the establishment of the high-level standing inter-ministerial technical committee on zero reject of agricultural produce, co-chaired by me and my counterpart in the ministry of industry, trade and investment.”

He disclosed that the Presidential Committee on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ would complement this arrangement by dedicating ports solely for agro exports and reinforce checks on the quality of produce from the country for foreign exchange earnings. He said the Ikorodu terminal of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has been earmarked for the project.

In addition, the minister said Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) has been empowered to make it more responsive to safety issues and phytosanitary standards in food exports so that its reports will be acceptable globally.

He added that a standing committee backed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and consisting of membership from critical and relevant agencies of the federal government has also been set up.

The agencies are NPA, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), among others.

The agencies will collaborate with the agriculture ministry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) and Federal Ministry of Finance, which have commenced work on an export control plan to target beans rejection and develop HS codes for other exportable commodities from Nigeria.


He reiterated his commitment to improved exports through expert handling of fresh produce, cold storage and post-harvest loss management, adding that the on-going efforts on the ‘conduits of excellence’ is expected to culminate in the development and validation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) at a high level specifically for dried beans and other commodities.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agric forum to encourage greater technology use by women

Image
Organizers of a one-day agricultural forum for women in Benin, the Edo State capital, have said the event will focus on increasing the awareness of available agricultural and outreach technologies for women in agriculture. The forum which will be anchored by Market Development Programme in the Niger Delta (MADE) with funding from UK Aid, is collaborating with Markets II, funded by USAID and Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND and the Edo State Cooperative Farmers’ Agency is being held for womenas part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. Mr. Fidelis Ekom, MADE’s Communications and Advocacy Manager, in a statement at the weekend said the forum also seeks to facilitate mindset change for women in the adoption of modern technologies and to facilitate engagement between women in agriculture and relevant value chain actors. Ekom said the forum will bring together women farmers in aquaculture, cassava, palm oil, poultry, hon
Read more

7 FEPSAN members to produce 1m tonnes under Presidential Fertiliser Initiative

Image
Seven active blending companies within the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have been revived and are among the 1st of five batches that would produce 1 million tonnes of fertiliser under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Thomas Etuh, President of FEPSAN has said. Etuh who disclosed this while speaking on Presidential Fertiliser Initiative noted that most of the plants owned by FEPSAN members are being revived after being dormant for over a decade. He expressed the hope that more plants would join the initiative before the end of April “Some of the blending plants which have already been supplied with raw materials including phosphate from Morocco and are blending include Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd, Kaduna, producing 300,000 metric tonnes; Al-Yuma Fertilizer Company (300,000 metric tonnes) in Madobi-Kano; Kano Agricultural Supply Company, supplying 15 trailers daily and Golden Fertiliser based in Lagos. “Others blending plants ha
Read more

Over 100 exhibitors from 18 countries register for agrofood Nigeria 2017

Image
Fairtrade, the German trade fair specialist organisation, has said more than 100 exhibitors from 18 countries have confirmed their participation at the agrofood Nigeria, making it a record participation. The event which will take place from 28 to 30 March 2017 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos has attracted exhibitors from Austria, Benin, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, Taiwan, Togo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. agrofood Nigeria consists of the following exhibition topics: Agriculture, Process & Packaging, Food Ingredients, Food & Drinks and Foodservice Equipment. “For the third year, the French agrofood association adepta leads a delegation of French companies to agrofood Nigeria”, said Aude Roelly, Area Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, adepta. “From farm to fork, companies specialized into equipment and know-how for agriculture, livestock, food processing and packaging offer their
Read more