Nigeria to begin exportation of organic agro-products ― Minister

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, has said that the increasing consumer demand for organic products locally is an indication that the sector has high growth potential.

According to the Minister, most of the organic products on sale across the Nigerian market are imported.

Dr Abubakar disclosed this, on Thursday, in Abuja at a two-day National Dialogue on Organic Agriculture Policy for Nigeria organised by the Ministry in collaboration with Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative Nigeria.

Represented by the Director, Federal Department of Land Resources, Shehu Bello, the Minister said his Ministry wants to end the challenge of Nigerian produce being rejected in the international market by introducing Organic Agriculture Practice into the agricultural system.

The Minister also noted that the absence of the nation’s agricultural products in the international market will soon be a thing of the past.

He said the Ministry is focused on unlocking the potentials in organic agriculture, as well as its adoption for the sustainability of soil nutrients and fertility, especially in those areas where the agricultural landfall within the Savannah and Sahel Zones are characterised by inherent low soil fertility.

“Our ultimate goal in this area is to increase agricultural productivity, earn foreign exchange, alleviate poverty, and improve on the rural economies, and job creation.

“For Nigeria, the agricultural sector is one of the key drivers of the economy, and a vibrant agricultural sector is needed to ensure job creation, the adequate farm produces to meet the increasing demand for food and raw materials for agribusiness industries.

“This forms the Ministry’s resolve to develop a National Organic Agriculture Policy for Nigeria.

“The policy is all-encompassing and caught across all segments of organic agricultural business and practices, including production; marketing; processing; export and import; quality control; raw material; training, research, and Innovation; and Government and Institutions,” the Minister said.

The Director, Farm Inputs Support Services Department of the Ministry, Engr. Tunde Bello while speaking, said with the full implementation of the National Fertiliser Quality Control (NFQC) Act 2019 and the regulation, the Ministry will begin to sanitise the industry to rid it of adulterators after issuing permits and certificates of registration to the fertiliser manufacturers, blenders, distributors, exporters and importers.

Bello said the Ministry has commenced registration of fertiliser players for both organic and inorganic.

He urged all players in the organic fertiliser industry to register and obtain the permits for their enterprises to avoid prosecution.

He said the increased clarion calls from stakeholders for the development of an appropriate policy to guide and regulate organic agriculture operations in Nigeria has received the necessary attention.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, noted that Nigeria’s agricultural sector has witnessed a remarkable policy change aimed at increasing agricultural production and ensuring food and nutritional security for the citizens.

Mustapha, who was represented by the Director, Public Affairs in the office of the SGF, Agugu Veronica, noted that organic not only results in an economic benefit to the small-scale farmer but also reduces pollution due to reduced nutrient runoff especially excess nitrogen.

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Nigeria to begin exportation of organic agro-products ― Minister