Editorial Fighting aflatoxin for a better market

The recently organized workshop by the USAID- ICRISAT for media men at Kano towards up scaling the production of groundnut commercially in the country ended with great concern for a pragmatic policy that will ensure more better agricultural produce for National and International consumptions as challenges of a fungi disease called aflatoxin infection on both human and animals can be so colossal if preventive measured are not encouraged.
 

As the groundnut up scaling is about to commence in some states of the Federation, Nigeria may stand to regain back her position in the world market when she used to be the largest exporter over America untill the position was lost due to neglect and policy summersault as there is need for standard production against any fungi diseases occasioned by mould that can short- change the market potential.

The incorrigible attitude of our local farmers to new method techniques of production is also a great challenge to fighting this fungi mould disease that would have been better addressed through effective extension officers which funding has been made moribund in many states of the federation which is a great challenge to agricultural development.

Media men were educated about the causes of aflatoxin as result of fungi infection disease on crops occasioned by moulds infections right from harvesting and post harvesting to further processing of drying in a local way which may not be too effective for dryness of all the nuts according to Prof. Olufunmilola Alabi of the Institute for Agriculture (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria who argued that the adverse impact of consuming a non healthy nuts could result to many diseases in both humans and animals that can get contaminated through livestock feeds emphasizing the need to educate our feeds producers just as farmers should be watchful of what they give to their animals. Why this issue of aflatoxin bothers mind is the inability to be easily identify with naked eyes according to scientists who stated that the good news is that it could be prevented through many ways that need to be well backed with government political will at all levels for the benefit of market acceptability and food safety in the country.

Another thing that is worrisome and worthy of asking is what the government has been doing to put in place a very stable preventive measure towards checkmating this infectious disease based on her awareness of this aflatoxicosis disease outbreak since 1961 at United Kingdom leading to enormous economic loss in poultry. We are aware that the Federal Government by then set up a screening exercise in order to protect the groundnut market interest then which must be ascertained whether the measure is still there or not since the collapse of pyramid days. 

The increasing population of Nigeria demands for more food production of which ground nut produce is very strategic based on its derivates in terms of vegetable oil and cake for home consumptions cum animals’ feeds cannot be overemphasized for its needs for standard production, processing and marketing through aflatoxin free diseases. 

In the present spirited effort of this present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to diversify the economy from the oil sector to the real economy, it will not be also out of place to ensure the standard production of agricultural produce in the face of international markets’ rejection of our crops produce in order to achieve the repositioning of the country’s economy with respect to giving prevention of  aflatoxin and any other fungi associated diseases is functional policy through a proactive preventive measure of science measurement being put in place right from land preparation to harvesting, post harvesting and marketing for a food safety and secured nation. And this measurement must be well politically supported at all level of governments as farmers must be enlightened in this regards for the benefit of their produce’ premium.