4 Takeaway from Nigerian Agro-food Reject
4 Takeaways from Nigerian Agro-food Reject
Are you worried about the repeated reject of Nigerian agricultural produce. You are not alone, I am perturbed as well, considering the revelation revolving around it.
On the other hand, it serves as a sanity check on our national food system. Thanks to the ban of some of our agriculture produce from our biggest buyer, European Union, EU. The sledge hammer for refusal on entry of food commodity from countries within this continent came fully through the pronouncement of its apex body.
There is a growing awareness in the EU on the sanitary, phytosanitory and chemical challenges of produce.
This has led to the imposition of a ban on some agro produce while countries exporting to EU now face stringent legislative requirements
No doubt, Nigerian agro-food production is still troubled by quality and safety issues induced by lack of consistent quality management, uncoordinated use of pesticides, storage condition and lack of adherence to standard operating procedures
The ban initiated the emergence of Nigerian Quality Infrastructure Project, NQIP, by the then former PDP led administration.
It opens up the need for accreditation, metrology centre and state of the art laboratory.
In a bid to revamp these challenges Conduit of Excellence is designed to serve as role models in inspiring value chains to produce safe high quality food.
Likewise the zero reject initiative is integrated into the mix coupled with other food safety fora by the current administration to halt agro-produce reject while diversifying the Nigerian economy away from oil into agriculture as means of foreign exchange earning.
The lesson learnt so far from the denial of authorization of our food products in EU countries are quite disturbing. The imposition depicts;
FOOD POISONING IS A NORM IN NIGERIA
Somebody once said, if what we consume as Nigerians are rejected in developed continents of the world, then what we consume are poisons. It's sad that many of our agric-produce get into the market without any check in qualifying if its fits for consumption.
Tons of unwholesome frozen foods and fast moving consumables are ferried into the nation daily, giving rise to more smugglers and advancement of more illicit entries into a nation of over a thousand borders point and still counting
Recently NAFDAC attests that there are insufficient laboratories in the country to analyze all packaged drinks.
Moreover, industrial farmers, who are responsible for bulks of industrial supply and exports are affected most. However, small scale farmers also suffer from microbial contaminates due to lack of adherence to good hygienic practices
INCREASING IMMUNO-COMPROMISED CITIZENRY AMONG NIGERIAN
You are what you eat. Food affects every part of your life. It is an extension of human existence. Productivity, psychology and mental agility are all influence by what goes into your mouth.
The Minister of Health few weeks back said that one out of every eleven Nigerians is diabetic. What about other Non Communicable Diseases like cancer, hypertension and heart related diseases. Think of an average life expectancy, our kids and generation after us
OUR REGULATORY BODIES ARE INTELLECTUALLY LAZY
If EU had not declare imposition of ban on these produce, it is certain that we would continuously keep feasting on hazardous food items unknowingly
EU countries are proactive in dealing with issues. The apex body took a responsive surveillance approach in tackling food system in regards to trade partners globally.
Responsive surveillance approach is a multi-discipline initiative that involves thorough inspection.
Inspection deals with pre-empting, checking and assessing samples to see if produce meets requirements at all time.
Unlike our agencies, who reacts when the havoc is already done. Reactive approach is mercy after death. It is an investigating drive to identifying what has already happen. Food poisoning, poor reputation and lost of income have taken toll on the people and nation before our regulatory bodies swing into action. Why don't they foresee it before now?
OUR NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEM IS POROUS.
Food system is the part our food travels from a seed into your stomach and its effect environmentally, socially, politically, and economically.
It involves all the infrastructure in getting our food across to the final consumers. What seed is planted, where, when, how, why. It covers planting, harvesting, handling, storage, distribution, processing, packaging and marketing. You should be able to trace your food back to the source, i.e farm.
Porous food system make the citizens vulnerable. Its subject the consumers to an experimenting toys, encourages food terrorism, security threat, dumping and food fraud
It behooves on the legislators as a matter of urgency to pass the food safety bill into law in ensuring a transparent, robust national food system
A nation without a transparent food system is like a city without borders
Are you worried about the repeated reject of Nigerian agricultural produce. You are not alone, I am perturbed as well, considering the revelation revolving around it.
On the other hand, it serves as a sanity check on our national food system. Thanks to the ban of some of our agriculture produce from our biggest buyer, European Union, EU. The sledge hammer for refusal on entry of food commodity from countries within this continent came fully through the pronouncement of its apex body.
There is a growing awareness in the EU on the sanitary, phytosanitory and chemical challenges of produce.
This has led to the imposition of a ban on some agro produce while countries exporting to EU now face stringent legislative requirements
No doubt, Nigerian agro-food production is still troubled by quality and safety issues induced by lack of consistent quality management, uncoordinated use of pesticides, storage condition and lack of adherence to standard operating procedures
The ban initiated the emergence of Nigerian Quality Infrastructure Project, NQIP, by the then former PDP led administration.
It opens up the need for accreditation, metrology centre and state of the art laboratory.
In a bid to revamp these challenges Conduit of Excellence is designed to serve as role models in inspiring value chains to produce safe high quality food.
Likewise the zero reject initiative is integrated into the mix coupled with other food safety fora by the current administration to halt agro-produce reject while diversifying the Nigerian economy away from oil into agriculture as means of foreign exchange earning.
The lesson learnt so far from the denial of authorization of our food products in EU countries are quite disturbing. The imposition depicts;
FOOD POISONING IS A NORM IN NIGERIA
Somebody once said, if what we consume as Nigerians are rejected in developed continents of the world, then what we consume are poisons. It's sad that many of our agric-produce get into the market without any check in qualifying if its fits for consumption.
Tons of unwholesome frozen foods and fast moving consumables are ferried into the nation daily, giving rise to more smugglers and advancement of more illicit entries into a nation of over a thousand borders point and still counting
Recently NAFDAC attests that there are insufficient laboratories in the country to analyze all packaged drinks.
Moreover, industrial farmers, who are responsible for bulks of industrial supply and exports are affected most. However, small scale farmers also suffer from microbial contaminates due to lack of adherence to good hygienic practices
INCREASING IMMUNO-COMPROMISED CITIZENRY AMONG NIGERIAN
You are what you eat. Food affects every part of your life. It is an extension of human existence. Productivity, psychology and mental agility are all influence by what goes into your mouth.
The Minister of Health few weeks back said that one out of every eleven Nigerians is diabetic. What about other Non Communicable Diseases like cancer, hypertension and heart related diseases. Think of an average life expectancy, our kids and generation after us
OUR REGULATORY BODIES ARE INTELLECTUALLY LAZY
If EU had not declare imposition of ban on these produce, it is certain that we would continuously keep feasting on hazardous food items unknowingly
EU countries are proactive in dealing with issues. The apex body took a responsive surveillance approach in tackling food system in regards to trade partners globally.
Responsive surveillance approach is a multi-discipline initiative that involves thorough inspection.
Inspection deals with pre-empting, checking and assessing samples to see if produce meets requirements at all time.
Unlike our agencies, who reacts when the havoc is already done. Reactive approach is mercy after death. It is an investigating drive to identifying what has already happen. Food poisoning, poor reputation and lost of income have taken toll on the people and nation before our regulatory bodies swing into action. Why don't they foresee it before now?
OUR NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEM IS POROUS.
Food system is the part our food travels from a seed into your stomach and its effect environmentally, socially, politically, and economically.
It involves all the infrastructure in getting our food across to the final consumers. What seed is planted, where, when, how, why. It covers planting, harvesting, handling, storage, distribution, processing, packaging and marketing. You should be able to trace your food back to the source, i.e farm.
Porous food system make the citizens vulnerable. Its subject the consumers to an experimenting toys, encourages food terrorism, security threat, dumping and food fraud
It behooves on the legislators as a matter of urgency to pass the food safety bill into law in ensuring a transparent, robust national food system
A nation without a transparent food system is like a city without borders
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