Organic: We use Quarantine certification to export yam, says President

 The president of Yam Produce, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Prof. Simon Itwange has said that the only certification that aided all the yams exported some few years back was the one given by the National Agricutural Quarantine Service ( NAQS) as there was no official standards yet for organic produce.

Prof. Itwange responding to questions on standard certification of organic agricultural produce in relation to its Association's yam export sometimes ago said there was no other certificate that assisted the export process than the one given by the NAQS, and which was recognized and acceptance.

 Itwange argued that the only official standard for Agricultural produce as regards export is resided in NAQS, adding that the ones being used by private organizations is quite expensive for accessibility and affordable by farmers.

 Dr. Ayanfeoluwa had posited there was organic standard for Nigerian Agricutural produce by private organizations for internal consumption, but added the standard was said to have been limited to only private organizations.

 An official from the farm inputs department of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) Mrs. Janet Igor who was attending the meeting on personal ground buttressed the efficacy of the quarantine certification as regards agricutural produce for export on behalf of the FMAFS, adding that the ongoing review policy on organic standard shall see how agro ecology farming can be incorporated. 

Mrs. Igor added that effort is ongoing to ensure that the policy on organic agriculture is being presented at the upcoming National Council on Agriculture and Food Security where approval shall be given by all the council members for implementation. Meanwhile, organic stakeholders at the meeting observed the need for soil management through regenerative agriculture with the application of soil friendly fertilizers for high production of more safety foods for human and animal consumptions.