European Union Bans Exports from Nigeria
The recent decision to put embargo on selected food crops and fish products from Nigeria by the European Union (EU) has been described as a bad omen for the country.
The Benue State Coordinator of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Nanakaan Saave, who disclosed today in Makurdi, the state capital, at a one day sensitisation and workshop for farmers, agrochemical dealers and stakeholders on the ‘Safe and Responsible Use of Disposal of Pesticides, organised by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP).
He said the ban on the products by the EU was as a result of the wrongful application of pesticides and other agrochemical substances on the exports from Nigeria.
Saave said: "We got an alert about four weeks ago from the EU of their decision to ban the importation of beans, dried fish, melon and other agricultural products from Nigeria due to the high residue of chemicals in the products.
"There decision was premised on the fact the high degree of chemicals in the affected farm products have made them unsafe for human consumption.
"On our part as a Council, we had earlier identified these issues and accordingly sounded an early warning to farmers to strictly abide by the best practices in the application of chemicals on our farm products and we will continue to educate and train our farmers accordingly."We are not lying low on the issue because it will certainly affect the volume of export from our country and the inflow of foreign exchange into Nigeria."
In his speech, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who was represented by the Deputy Director Agrochemicals, Sikiru Olowo, explained that the exporters of banned products sidetracked the agency and failed to subject their products to NAFDAC screening at the ports.
According to him, "The exporters of the affected products failed to pass through NAFDAC screening at the laboratories which we have at the ports and which are also supported by the EU and other western countries."
"We will however continue to educate and train our farmers on the need to do the needful so as to avoid further clampdown on farm products from our country."
The recent decision to put embargo on selected food crops and fish products from Nigeria by the European Union (EU) has been described as a bad omen for the country.
The Benue State Coordinator of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Nanakaan Saave, who disclosed today in Makurdi, the state capital, at a one day sensitisation and workshop for farmers, agrochemical dealers and stakeholders on the ‘Safe and Responsible Use of Disposal of Pesticides, organised by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP).
He said the ban on the products by the EU was as a result of the wrongful application of pesticides and other agrochemical substances on the exports from Nigeria.
Saave said: "We got an alert about four weeks ago from the EU of their decision to ban the importation of beans, dried fish, melon and other agricultural products from Nigeria due to the high residue of chemicals in the products.
"There decision was premised on the fact the high degree of chemicals in the affected farm products have made them unsafe for human consumption.
"On our part as a Council, we had earlier identified these issues and accordingly sounded an early warning to farmers to strictly abide by the best practices in the application of chemicals on our farm products and we will continue to educate and train our farmers accordingly."We are not lying low on the issue because it will certainly affect the volume of export from our country and the inflow of foreign exchange into Nigeria."
In his speech, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who was represented by the Deputy Director Agrochemicals, Sikiru Olowo, explained that the exporters of banned products sidetracked the agency and failed to subject their products to NAFDAC screening at the ports.
According to him, "The exporters of the affected products failed to pass through NAFDAC screening at the laboratories which we have at the ports and which are also supported by the EU and other western countries."
"We will however continue to educate and train our farmers on the need to do the needful so as to avoid further clampdown on farm products from our country."
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