The Federal Government says it is working with relevant National Assembly Committees on Agriculture to have a framework to ensure sanity in the agro-chemicals or pesticides business in the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this during a market sensitization workshop organized for dealers and stakeholders of Agrochemicals (Plants Pesticides) on the use and sales of agrochemicals on Monday at Sabon-Gari Market, Kano.
Represented by The Director, Farm Inputs Support Services Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Abba Bashir, said that the new draft or harmonized Bill was set to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution, sales and improve the quality of Fertilisers and Plant pesticides and other agricultural inputs in Nigeria.
He said that the initiative was to stem the rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural products and produce in international markets.
Abubakar said that the practice had rendered “our food unsafe and causing a variety of health hazards and economic loses to our people and country.’’
According to him, this negates the Federal Government’s plan to prioritize agriculture as one of the key sectors in diversifying the economy.
“Our agricultural produce has suffered in the last few years from rejection in the international markets due to poor adherence to standards and maintenance of required quality,” he explained.
The minister noted that the sensitisation was also organised to broaden the knowledge and create further awareness among farmers and order stakeholders across Nigeria.
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According to him, the ministry has commence registration of all agrochemical & fertiliser dealers to ensure that farmers and other inputs end users buy fertilisers and agrochemicals from reputable and accredited dealers only for safety and quality assurance.
Earlier, the zonal coordinator federal ministry of Agriculture, Abbagana Yamani, said that the government was doing everything to reverse the trend, adding that the sensitization was organized to enlighten and create further awareness among farmers across agrochemicals dealers in Nigeria.
He said that Nigeria s agricultural commodities were being rejected in the international market due to poor quality arising from contaminations due to misuse of the chemicals.
He urged the participants to take the training seriously and pass the knowledge to orders.
Alhaji Kabiru Umar, the President of Northwest Agro Input Dealers Association (NAIDA) said the association was collaborating with the ministry in sensitising it’s members the on the Initiative.
Umar said it had become imperative for the ministry to sensitize farmers and dealers against the misuse of agrochemicals because of its prevailing health implications.
He advised that the sensitization be made more elaborate using the mass media (print and electronic media), as well as wider coverage of markets/farmers associations to promote the awareness campaign.
One of the participants, Ali Hamza, lauded the FMARD for the workshop and promised to educate his business partners on the proper use of Agrochemicals.
