By Goodluck Ikiebe.
The Nigerian government has been urged to diversify its economy through Agricultural Produce that are much in abundance in the country.
National President of Pineapple Growers, Processors and Marketers Association, Mr Godwin Etsano, made the call in an interview with our Correspondent in Abuja.
He said the government should find a way to assist farmers of Agricultural Produce to enable them export their products and meet international certifications.
“When it comes to international exhibition, some of these agricultural commodities could be sponsored by the government through ministries and agencies, to participate”
“The government should also find a way to provide financial support to these association to compete internationally with their produce, thereby reducing Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil” Godwin Etsano added.
According to him, Pineapple is a black gold with so much potentials, but the government has not been able to come up with a road map on how to drive the sector a little bit further and compete internationally.
“Presently, as an individual, my personal interest is to go into export. And to do that, we have to put in place some forms of certification. It may interest you to know that one of the most sought after certification in the World is fresh fruits and vegetables, called Globagam.
” As at 2019, Nigeria has no single certified Globagam farmer, but because of my desire to put the country at the global scene, I went to Ghana for training. Today, as the first certified global farmer, have also trained so many farmers in Nigeria.
Our Correspondent reports that Nigeria is the 6th highest Pineapple producer in the world, solely made possible by individual members efforts and contribution.
