Kenaf: Government Official raises alert on $50m imports

An official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has hinted that Nigeria can sufficiently  produce enough kenaf to checkmate annual  $50 million being expended on jute bags importation.

The desk officer, Kenaf value chains, FMARD, Mr. Abubakar Garuba told Food Farm News during an interview.

Garuba said it is saddening to note that the country annually spends fifty million dollars on jute bags importation despite her capacity in over 20 states to grow kenaf, saying such huge amount of money could be alternatively utilized to develop the crop value chains productivity for more wealth and job creations. 

He emphasised on the need for local production of kenaf towards jute bags productivity with other derivatives,   saying that millions of dollar used on importation can be diverted into backward integration of jute bags productivity for the betterment of the nation.

According to him ‘’I can’t give you an exact figure of what the kenaf sector can generate but all I know is that it can generate a lot because in Nigeria now we have spent over 50 million dollars annually to import jute bags.

Garuba who could not give affirmative figure of what Nigeria can earn on galvanizing kenaf production, however stressed the need to checkmate huge amount being expended on the importation of jute bags annually, thereby emphasizing the need for more partnership between the Ministry and Institute for Agricultural Research and Training ( IAR&T) for more generation of improved seeds for competitive commercial production.

He added that the ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is in the process of procuring some  small scale equipment like planters, harvesters and the cultivators to enhance farmers’ productivity as more awareness through stakeholders’ workshop would soon be held to stimulate kenaf production based on its potentials to create jobs and wealth to stabilise the country’s economy.

The FMARD official however lamented on the low production tonnage per hectare in the country and the need for private sector involvement through investment on yarn processing plant to checkmate jute bags importation saying that “In Nigeria, we produce 1 – 2 tons per hectare which is very poor.

Meanwhile, we have nations producing 10 - 20 tons which is the yield per hectare globally.

Also we can bridge the gap of setting up a yarn processing plant, it will go a long way’’
The Desk Officer pointed that kenaf production can earn Nigeria more economically than what crude oil if well cultivated on a large scale together with the ability to produce a substance that can be used to clean an oil spillage environment, adding that its commercial cultivation would help to reduce global warming effects occasioned by carbon dioxide emissions into the air.

According to him ‘’ Absorbent can be used to address oil spillage in places known for high amount of oil spillages, for example, Ogoni lands. The absorbent comes in powdery form. Kenaf crop absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than other crops. Every hectare of kenaf consumes 30 - 40 tons of carbon dioxide during each growing cycle.

Each hectare of kenaf consumes the same amount of carbon dioxide that cars emit in a year."