The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), has tasked the government to do more in order to provide a secure environment for agriculture to thrive in Nigeria.
Mr. Samson Idowu, the Regional Coordinator of NEPC, gave the charge at a two-day workshop on Production and Processing of Potato for Export Competitiveness, on Wednesday in Jos.
He noted that Plateau accounts for 95 percent of Irish potato production in Nigeria, hence the workshop to promote the production of the commodity to meet consumption needs, as well as export standards.
“Production should not just be for consumption alone, but to get the most value from the product and also create jobs for the public,” he said.
Idowu pointed out that the security of lives and property of farmers in the country was an utmost requirement of the government if farmers’ productivity must be met.
He, therefore, tasked the government at all levels to ensure that farmers were protected and guaranteed a safe environment to produce maximally for consumption and even for export.
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“It is the primary duty of the government to provide security. So, we plead and advocate that a lot needs to be done to secure the lives of people – farmers and all other citizens,” Idowu said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Christie Sunkur, National President of Potato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (PGPMAN), commended NEPC for the step taken to boost Potato production.
She encouraged farmers to start thinking about exporting in order to get more value from their produce.
Sunkur emphasized the need for potato farmers in Plateau to improve their production given the enormous potential in its value chain.
“Potatoes have become a staple food all over the world, not just in Nigeria,” she added.
