Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe yesterday flagged-off exportation of yam to the United Kingdom and the United States of America with a symbolic three units of 40- foot containers carrying 72 tonnes of yam.
Flagging-off the 'Nigeria Yam Export' inititave at the Lillypond Container Terminal in Ijora area of Apapa yesterday, the Minister assured that the yams that are being exported would not affect the quantity required for local consumption. He said that presently, 40% of yams produced in Nigeria rot away due to lack if preservation.
The minister also assured that the ministry in partnership with Nigerian Centre for Agriculture Mechanisation is developing a plough that can make yam heaps in order to make it easier for Nigerian farmers.
"The average age of a Nigerian farmer is about 65 years, the young men in the village are moving out to ride okada and look for easier jobs, so in five years it would be difficult to find yams"
"In the next year, the new plough must be ready for use, otherwise in the next five years you won't find yams anywhere, it is not easy making a yam and these are the challenges"
"The yams we expect will not in any way diminish the ones at home, most of the yams we produce usually rot away, new yams are about to come out and the old stock is still everywhere. I know that prices of food stuffs are high and I want to assure Nigerians that the Government is worried about the situation" he said.
Ogbe said that the world is waiting on Nigeria to export most of its agricultural produce. According to him, the beans market in India is about 100 billion dollars annually. According to him, also a supermarket in Walmart in the USA wants Nigeria to produce cashew nuts with 100 tonnes demand per annum at 7 billion dollars.
He urged the farmers and off takers to ensure that their produce follow world standard in order to avoid the embarrassment of the yams being rejected abroad.
Ogbe also charged the Nigerian Agriculture and Quarantine Service to reduce its charges on exporters.
Also speaking, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Hadiza Bala Usman said that NPA is ready to provide all the support needed for the nation to actualise its export goals.
As the highest producer of yam in the world, she said Nigeria should take advantage of its capacity to improve on its export revenue and exploit the ports as means of economic development.
Hadiza said that, "at the end of last year, NPA directed all terminal operators and shipping companies to set up fast track desk for export of agricultural produce. We are also looking forward to dedicating a terminal for the export of agricultural produce"
"I have noted the request on Ikorodu lighter terminal and we are keen to provide any infrastructure at any location for this. However, it would be difficult to get vessels to Ikorodu because of the three bridges that have to be crossed".
She also said that in the long term, the ministry of transportation is working to ensure that most agricultural produce are moved from the hinterland to the ports by rail.
On his part, Customs Area Controller of Tin Can 2 Command at Lillypond, Mahmud Dalhat assured that officers of the command are well trained to handle the yams and any other agricultural produce.
He said that Lillypond Terminal is a dry port, but that the import has since stopped coming, hence he expressed the command's readiness to key into the plan by Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria to use the command as a warehouse for yam processing for exeportation.
He also said that the command has a dedicated desk for exportation.
On his part, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Engineer Benson Abonu noted that one of main agricultural products in Benue State is yam, stressing that all the 23 local government of the state produce yam in large quantity.
Abonu said that in order to continue feeding the nation, the state government in partnership with Bank of Industry (BoI) is providing N3 billion for its farmers in order to make them industrialists.
Also speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Director General of Nigerian Export Promotion Council; Chief Segun Awolowo described agriculture promotion policy also known as 'Green Alternative' as another alternative revenue generation after the oil and gas sector.
He noted that there are two million Nigerians living in the United Kingdom legally and that they are the first buyers of all the yam export.
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