FG Moves To Ensure EU Lifts Ban On Beans Import From Nigeria

BEVERLY HILLS, September 13, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has begun to put in place measures to ensure that the European Union (EU) lift the suspension on beans imported from Nigeria.

The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) said it organised a workshop for beans farmers, extension workers and other stakeholders to educate them on best practices to meet export standards.

‎Speaking at the workshop in Kano, the Co-coordinating Director, NAQS, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, said there was an urgent need for collaboration of all stakeholders to prevent the extension of the suspension beyond 2016.

According to him, if farmers do not sell, they will not be encouraged to produce and if they do not produce, the merchants will not have what to sell.

He said that most farmers go to the wrong Government agency seeking solutions, urging them to direct their challenges and enquiries to NAQS.

Also speaking, Head of Collaboration and Partnership, NAQS, Mr. Nnamdi Onukwuba, noted that the suspension was as a result of high quantity of chemicals used as pesticides in beans exported.

He said the EU had given Nigeria June 30, 2016 to put in place all measures to produce healthier beans for consumption.

Onukwuba blamed the situation on middlemen who store the commodity with chemicals before export.

He said NAQS was setting up a system that would enable exporters buy directly from the farmers ‎as laboratory test had revealed that chemicals were very low at the farm level.

He said as soon the system become operational, NAQS will no longer issue certificate to exporters who buy from the open market.

The European Union this year slammed a two-year suspension on beans imports from Nigeria. The ban runs till June 2016.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, the rejected beans were found to contain between 0.03mg per kilogramme to 4.6mg/kg of dichlorvos pesticide, when the acceptable maximum residue limit is 0.01mg/kg.

NAN.