Nigeria has commenced exports of vegetables to the United Kingdom Coordinating Director, National Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Vincent Isegbe has disclosed.
He also stated the country is expected to earn about $100 billion from exportation of pigeon pea to India following an offer received from the Indian government.
Isegbe said in Abuja that the NAQS is the authorised agency mandated to certify agricultural commodities for exports.
Isegbe said: “Currently, we have been able to introduce vegetable exports. Initially, it was done in a disorganised manner.
“Do you know that we currently we have exporters of vegetables to the UK.
“I know a young man who recently came home from the US, disposed his assets and set up a vegetable farm in Ijebu Ode.
“He has about four tractors, cool haulage van which he uses to transport the vegetable from Ijebu-Ode to Lagos.
“You will be surprised. His vegetables are not for direct consumption. He exports directly to the UK.
“We were at his farm on February 2nd 2017 to update his certification because the farm keeps increasing.?”
Explaining how to do successful exports, he said interested exporters must first register with the NAQS and indicates the commodity to export.
He added the Service will then conduct pest crop survey on the farm to ensure whatever is being exported from the farm is licensed and acceptable abroad.
“The report of the survey, if successful, will be sent to that country you are exporting to so that they can be rest assured that you are not exporting pest infected crops,” he added.
Speaking on the pigeon pea offer, he explained that the pea is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae and a staple in every corner of India.
According to him, the NAQS and other federal government agencies made a submission to the Indian government on 25 categories of crop analyses, all of which were based on new innovations.
“If one commodity like pigeon pea can fetch Nigeria so much and Nigeria is able to make two to three supplies; the country can begin to reap the benefits of agricultural exports,”Isegbe added.
He noted that the service had partnered with some states and All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) to meet the pigeon pea demand.
“We have started interacting with the governors of Kano and Kaduna States as well as AFAN and other relevant groups in order to meet the Indian government’s demand for pigeon pea.
