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Experts task farmers on organic farming

By Tayo Oredola
26 March 2017   |   3:48 am
Farmers have been enjoined to embrace organic agriculture export, to raise the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country and expand its economies.

Agriculture

Farmers have been enjoined to embrace organic agriculture export, to raise the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country and expand its economies.

The Chief Executive Officer, Lead Unique Ventures Limited, Bridget Okonfua, Head, African-Caribbean Produce Union (ACPU), from the US, Mr. Michael Griffin and immediate past chairman of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Prince Wale Oyokoya, who stated this at an event on organic agriculture produce forum in Lagos, said farmers have a lot to gain from organic agriculture export.

Okonfua, who said tomato, plantain, yam, vegetables, acquaculture, cassava and yam, among others are areas farmers could explore to make huge profits, said the country is not doing well in terms of export, assuring that efforts are on to ensure that the country exports agriculture produce to the US under a unified name.

“Nigeria would have been able to access about $4b from the ACQUA project, but because we didn’t understand how to move our produce. Once the export becomes a success, we would be able to access the fund that has been in place already.

“We therefore appeal to farmers to register into the ACPU. Farmers would get organic fertilisers for their farm produce. Government should come in because they have the database of the cooperative societies and through that, they can easily identify beneficiaries.

Griffin, said there is huge market in the U.S for organic produce, noting that the organic industry in America is worth about $38.9b industry per annum.

“In 2012, I was able to obtain organic certification for my Ghana farmers and that has given them a higher standard to meet the US organic market. People are going organic because they are becoming food conscious and that can help Nigeria to form a new attitude as far as organic is concerned.

“Nigeria is a qualified ACPU member. Changing the mindset is the major thing, understanding knowledge and wisdom. With the change in mindset, it is easy to move into the right direction. Then farmers decide in Nigeria to feed the world, the country that feeds the world would never go hungry. The new oil in Nigeria is agriculture. When Nigeria decides to take this serous no one would deny her,” he said.

On his part, Oyokoya, said organic fertilisers’ produce are always the best, because its natural, has no health implications and prevents disease from farm produce.

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