The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said Nigeria will start exporting yams. He said Nigeria's agricultural sector will soon regain its lost glory as a major food producer and exporter.The minister also insisted that Nigeria has everything to be a key player in the international processed food market.
Audu Ogbeh, the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said a container of yams will soon leave the
shores of Nigeria for the European continent.
Specifically, the minister said the container will leave the country on the 29th of June this year.
He disclosed this during an interaction with journalists while giving the scorecard of his ministry since the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government took over power two years ago.
The minister maintained that Nigeria's agricultural sector will regain its lost glory as a major food producer and exporter within the next two years.
He said the country is doing well in the exportation of of vegetables, beans and cowpeas to India, as well as cashew to Vietnam.
He said: “In another two years, we will be back on the world stage where every country had recognized and expected Nigeria to live up to the name – Major Food Producer.
“On the 29th of June this year, the first container of yams will be leaving the shores of Nigeria for UK.
“Yes, we have been dealing with vegetables and a lot of other produce already and we will continue to be selling pulses mainly beans and cowpeas to India.
“We will soon be back exporting cocoa again on a large scale, although we are exporting very little now; and cashew nuts to Vietnam which we intend to start processing here very soon.
“The processed cashew nuts will be exported to Wal-Mart and other major supermarkets across the globe.
“We are on our way. It is just about time.
“The beautiful thing is that Nigerians make me proud. In spite of the trauma they have been through, their response to the call by the President to return to agriculture has been absolutely successful – Young and old, civil servants, military men, journalists, everybody is on his way back to agriculture.
“We only have the challenge, now, of giving them what they need, and we will definitely meet that challenge.”
The minister also insisted that Nigeria has everything to be a key player in the international processed food market.
Highlighting the challenges the country need to overcome before playing a key role in the processed food market globally, the minister listed procurement of machineries, stable electricity and value of Naira.
“We have to process what we grow. There are very few things we eat raw especially vegetables and fruits. But rice, sugar, milk, sorghum, millet, cassava – among those items; we are almost there.
“Nigerians may find that difficult to accept now because the prices are so high and that can be explained by the sudden drop in the value of the Naira. Machineries need to be procured. We need to stabilize electricity otherwise the cost of production and processing gets too high.
“Otherwise, there is no question whether Nigeria can or will get there. It is just a matter of time.
“Unfortunately, for agriculture once a country slows down like we did for nearly 30 years, it becomes difficult to restart the engine.
“But for Nigeria, the people are incredible and they are doing it. It took Brazil 30 years and India 50 years to be able to get to where they are now. It won’t take us that long.
“In 10 years, I tell you, people across planet earth who want to respect Nigeria on agriculture will definitely have to do so; because they have no choice. We are on our way.”
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