The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
report, in 1985, reported that Nigeria produced
18.3 million metric tons of yam from 1.5
million hectares, representing 73.8 per cent of
total yam production in Africa.
Nigeria begins yam export today
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday
gave approval for the establishment of six
cashew-processing factories for export.These
factories, Council said would be cited in the
cashew belt areas of Enugu, Imo, Benue, Kogi,
Kwara and Oyo states to meet the export
demand of 130,000 tons valued at $7 billion
per annum.
This came as the Federal Government will
today in Lagos begin export of yams with a
consignment of 72 metric tons to the
UK.Nigeria has consistently been reckoned
globally as the largest producer of yams, at
various times accounting for between 65 and
76 per cent of the world production.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
report, in 1985, reported that Nigeria produced
18.3 million metric tons of yam from 1.5
million hectares, representing 73.8 per cent of
total yam production in Africa.
Addressing State House Correspondents after
the meeting presided over by Acting President
Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe also
disclosed government’s plan to commence
massive export of varieties of beans to India.
He said, “these things are coming
because Nigeria is beginning to focus on non
oil export. Once you can diversify your
economy, if something goes wrong in one
sector you can hang on to the other.’’
On yam export, Ogbe said “we don’t even
consume all the yams we produce here
because most of it is lost to wastage because of
poor technologies in preservation. “We are
going to solar coolers in yam markets and yam
producing areas to keep the temperature at 14
degrees Celsius, not frozen but to keep it at
that temperature so that it can be good all year
round and can last up to two to three years in
the containers.
“The market in agric is huge, the prospects are
large. It’s about improving on our strategies at
home and getting all our states to get
involved.“For us to go abroad and not find
Nigerian yams in the market, it is an
embarrassment. Ghana is targeting $4 billion
of yams in the next three years and if they can
do that, we who are the masters of yam
production have no business lagging behind,”
the minister said.
Also, FEC yesterday signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU), with the United Nations
Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) for the
procurement of contraceptive in the country
for four years.
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Odewale
disclosed that Council also gave approval for a
memorandum for the inclusion of member of
the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in the
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to
prevent the worrisome incidence of death
among youth corps members across the
country. Also, Minister of Science and
Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu said Council
deliberated on a draft roadmap for science and
technology sector.

Source and Photos:- http://legendbaze.ga/2017/06/fg-approves-six-cashew-factories-for-export/

H