1.
Sen. AbdullahiAdamu and Publisher Food Farm News,
Mr. Ayeni Oladehinde at Eurobase investors’ interface with farmers at
Conference centre.
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The issue of substandard products has cut across all facets
of our economy including agricultural produce, and this has impacted negatively
on their acceptability globally, with exporters facing sanctions and rejection
at the international markets.
The production, processing and packaging of agricultural
produce have always not been taken very serious both by the government and
private sectors, and many, especially exporters have been paying dearly for their
produce not meeting the standard requirements, in the recent times.
There is assertion about political motivation against
Nigerian produce for obvious reasons, but the critical questions here is: how
are the post-harvest handling and packaging of our agricultural produce through
the value chains, for the markets, being managed with best agronomics practice
to ensure standard?
The truth is we cannot keep doing things in a substandard
ways and still expect the world to wait for us in the face other competitive
produce or products: therefore there is need to get things right through best
agronomics which extension officers are doing effectively well to assist
farmers in practice and transfer of available improved technologies on the
shelves to needed places.
Our semi processed agricultural produce for export needs
proper handling and packaging management in order to meet international
standard. The question is do we have facility for effective post-harvest
management? If the answer is yes, are they properly harnessed by the private
stakeholders who are engaged in export? What are the support and guideline they
are getting from the constituted institutions that are meant to ensure
standard? Are they compromising, or doing justice that will help to develop our
standards attainment process in the country? What differentiates the role of
Standard Organization Nigeria (SON) from that of the Nigerian Agricultural
Quarantine Service (NAQS)? What is the role of National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in semi processed agricultural produce
and even animal drugs and vaccines in ensuring standard? What are the roles of
Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) and Veterinary Council of Nigeria
(VCN)? What is the level of synergy between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development (FMARD) and its counterpart, Industry, Trade and
Investment Ministry towards ensuring standard of agricultural produce, as both
has a harmonious role to play for the national development of our export?
All these are
questions begging for answer s that will put the role of all stakeholders in the
strive for standard of agricultural produce in right perceptive in the face of
global market competitiveness. The government needs to reposition the Trade and
Investment Policy in a holistic manner that will ensure standard from
production to packaging without compromise, for our economic diversification efforts
to be fruitful and result in wealth and job creation.
It is sad seeing some of our agricultural produce being
sun-dried along the road side in the face of many other more hygienic
alternatives like use of raised platforms that will cut off rodent and pest
infestations; coupled with availability of government irradiation facilities
which are all laying fallow at Sheda near Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Obafemi Awolowo Univesity, Ile Ife, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
But this raises another question: how effective are these facilities in the face of non release of even appropriated
funds?.
What is the involvement of Federation of Agric Commodities Associations
of Nigeria (FACAN) in the use of these facilities as a means of meeting export
standard of its members and local consumption? Also how are the facilities
being publicized among farmers for them to take advantages of its use? All
these are food for thought in the race to ensure standard of produce in
Nigeria.
However the government’s renewed bid towards supporting the
downstream sector of agriculture through the provision of small scale
processing machines and equipment to farmers at all levels for value addition
to enhance quality is a right decision which must not be a lip service kind of
a thing.
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