Nigerian farmers can now export fish, as Ogbeh signs law

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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has reinforced the existing aquaculture Act by signing a regulatory law that will ensure standard of exportable farmed fishes into other countries in  Europe and America.

Speaking to Food Farm News on the achievement recorded in the increasing fish production by the ministry, the Director, Department of Fisheries, Alhaji Muazu Mohammed said a lot have been done through establishment o fish processing centers across the nation coupled the minister signing of aquaculture regulation law that would enhance the exportation of farmed fish into America and Europe thereby calling of farmers to harness the new law to create wealth and generate more jobs. 

Alhaji Ibrahim also pointed out that President Mohammed Buhari had given approval for the ministry to procure two patrol vessels for effective monitoring against piracy activities within the Nigerian territorial borders pointing out that consultation was on going with the Naval authority as regards its technical expertise in terms of information on the proposed vessel with cost, specification and country of import for 2017 procurement.

He stated that the availability of the vessels would protect over $50 million fishes annually through the activities of Nigerian trawlers which the pirates  have been disturbing and short changing with constant invasion along the territorial borders.

However, in a statement from the FMARD issued and signed by Mrs. Lere Adam on behalf of the director of information to Food Farm News, the minister of state, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri had recently launched a Premuim Aquaculture harvesting tilapia fish at Oyan dam, Ogun –Osun River Basin Authority, Abeokuta as this was part of the Federal Government’s commitment to up scaling fish production for self-sufficiency and food security in Nigeria. 

Lokpobiri confirmed that there had been increased production of fish from 800 metric tons in 2015 to 1.1 million tons thereby reducing the demand deficit of 2.1 million metric tons gap to a million saying this achievement was a result of backward integration policy of the Government in local fish breeding to checkmating import bills. 

 In his remarks on the occasion, the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who had earlier received the minister at his home commended Premium Aquaculture, saying that its commitment to fish production would be a wealth catalyst to out growers and employment generation for youths in the state pointed this would be achieving zero hunger target of the year 2025. 

Also the Ogun state Governor Senator Ibukunle Amosun represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture promised to give all the necessary support to boost tilapia production in premium Aquaculture Limited.

The managing director of Premium Aquaculture Limited, Mr, Prakash Aildasani appreciated the peaceful investment environment in Ogun state pointed out that the organization was targeting to achieve the supply of  10-12 million fingerlings to out growers added it has engaged in training programmes  among interested aquaculture farmers towards ensuring  capacity development to up scale production.