FG promises support to apple productivity, institutes 7man committee

The Federal Government (FG) has advised the stakeholders of apple produce to steadfastly focus in putting a well structured association that cut across the six geo-political zones so as to be able to benefit from many Government programmes and support to increase productivity towards import mitigation and more economic earnings, just as seven man committee was constituted to draft a comprehensive constitution within one month.

This was the words of the Director, Commodity Export Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment (FMITI) ably represented by Deputy Director (DD) Mr. S.O. G Twayeringha at the first official apple stakeholders’ meeting held at the block G conference room yesterday Abuja.

Mr. Twayeringha assured members that the ministry would use its mandate to give support for the development of the apple increase productivity to the entire benefit of the nation’s economy through best agronomics training's in production, processing and marketing under a well structured association that would be officially inaugurated, adding that members should intensify on more awareness for more people

Towards ensuring an association with effective document of operation, a seven man committee across the six geo political zones were appointed, and is being chaired by Alhaji Adamu Umar Modibbo from North East and Mrs Eniwaye Atunuke, North Central.  Other members are Mr. Clement Omoyemi Ohikhueme (South-South), Azumi Musa, North Central, Mr. Sunday Eugene, North West, Tunji Oladeji, South West and Miss Ruth Nweke from South East.

Speaking on the economic value of the crop, the interim president of the would be association ‘’National Apple Farmers, Processors& Marketers of Nigeria (NAFPMAN), Mr. Clement Omoyemi Ohikhueme said that Nigeria’s soil could efficiently do very well in growing apples with vegetative propagation than seeds planting, adding that its commercial production is capable  to checkmate over $29.7 million being expended on the import,  just as he stressed that the locally grown ones are more medicinal than the imported ones.

Ohikhueme stressed the objective of the association was to encourage more people to go into its farming, processing and marketing in order to reduce unemployment by creating jobs for the youths and women towards expanding market frontiers of the apple in Nigeria to other countries of the world.

He said that ‘’ we have the population that can help us grow apple crop massively in the country like in China. People must be rejecting apples that are imported as they have been infested with all manners of diseases just as most of them are prematurely harvested, and put in silos where there are chemicals  not good for our health’’

The chairman of the constitution drafting committee, Mallam Adamu Modibbo also stressed the need for Nigerians to engage in the production of the apples to mitigate bulk of the produce coming from Cameroon as one piece is being sold for three hundred and fifty Naira (N350) and N500 depending on the seizes even down to the village level, stressed that there is need to sensitise people more on growing the produce.

Modibbo said that ‘‘most of the apples we eat come from Cameroon; we find that a piece of small apple is sold for N350, while the red ones sold for N500 just for one piece. So for economic value of apple, i think it is becoming more interesting to go into farming and marketing apple in Nigeria. Our ability will determine how we are going to handle it in the future by stopping its import just the way rice producers do. There is need to go home and sensitise people into growing it. Even in villages, apples are sold expensively like in the city’’