Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) and other stakeholders in agriculture have called for implementation of standards on commodities to eliminate rejects in the international market.
Speaking at a workshop organised by NABG in Abuja, its Director-General, Dr. Manzo Maigari, said policies and standards should be in place to put Nigeria in the league of major players in agribusiness.
He said the workshop, funded and supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was necessary following serial rejects of Nigerian commodities in international markets on account of standards.
Maigari noted Nigeria do not have a policy framework on standards, quality and certification, saying this was worrisome as it negatively impacts export of commodities.
‘’We represent the business sector. While we must set up a framework for business, agribusiness begins with quality standards and for us this is the foundation once we can get this right, and we can compete in global markets, he said.
“We make money, so far, we are not competitive because we do not have global certifications.’’
Speaking on climate change impact on agribusiness and climate resilience, he said for every quality that must be met, the climate is an important component of that quality.
He said there were traditional practices already climate smart but because smallholder farmers do not understand the practices that ensure the produce has met the right quality, those practices were neglected.
The director general noted that part of ‘’what we are going to do to meet standards is to imbibe climate smart practices and highlight traditional practices that are also smart.”