…Govt is exporting our stomachs for dollars, they say
Disquiet, anger and fury across the land have greeted Federal Government’s Yam Exportation Programme which took off on June 29, 2017 in Lagos. Our features editor, GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR, in a nationwide survey with states correspondents, presents the peoples’ reaction to Audu Ogbeh’s brainwave of earning foreign exchange from yam exportation to substitute failed oil, gas and other sectors. His report:
It was a project conceived in desperation… and birthed in trouble. Stakeholders were not silent in sounding their warnings. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh himself did not feign ignorance either. He had, in the beginning, expressed fear of the export dream putting everybody in trouble ! Hear him:
“I want this committee to begin to engage team of engineers anywhere in the world. Can we design a plough that can make the yam heap? We have to mechanise heap making, otherwise, in the next five years, because of our aging farmers, you will find out that we do not have yams again – and we will get into fresh troubles!’’.
He was that apprehensive, but a calculated $8 billion dollars earning per annum, appeared too good to drop.
Take one: The warnings
IITA: A stakeholder attached to the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture Ibadan, advised FG to develop improved strains through research and acquire the technologies to enable mechanised farming of the crop.
REASON “Until FG embarks on massive production of international-quality yams to compete favourably with other producers, we cannot talk about exporting yams. Already, the cost of this national staple is still astronomical because our farming, preservation and transportation methods are outdated.
“Secondly, FG must not place too much emphasis on the exportation of yams – until we have produced enough for it to be easily available and affordable to ordinary Nigerians all year round.” He spoke in confidence because his advice to Ogbeh’s export committee went unheeded.
NACCIMA: The National Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Manufacturing and Agriculture said incentives were needed to produce enough yams for local and overseas consumption before we embark on exporting.
NLC: Denja Yaqub, of Nigeria Labour Congress: “The initiative could encourage farmers to increase output, earning foreign exchange for the cash-strapped economy, but government needs to reduce fuel costs for farmers, upgrade roads and improve storage facilities to cut waste in the supply chain – and ultimately lower prices of yam for our local consumers.”
Exporters: Mrs. Elizabeth Nwankwo, a yam exporter, representing Oklan Best Limited, listed some challenges experienced by exporters to include inadequate transportation and lack of quality seedlings. “Inadequate storage facilities also contributed to the rejection of the country’s agricultural produce at the international markets but I believe there could be zero rejection of the country’s agricultural produce, if these challenges are tackled.”
OGBEH’S OPTIMISM
“Oil and gas cannot employ millions of people like agriculture would, so we must work hard to move from oil to earning foreign exchange from agriculture.
“Therefore, this programme has to succeed; we must sell whatever we produce to the world because we are buying too much. We allowed ourselves to be deceived.
“I saw the figures of Ghana are earning from yam export and their targets for the future and it was quite impressive. If Ghana can aim at a few billion dollars a year from yams, there is no reason why Nigeria cannot quadruple that.”
Take three: Nigerians react
ENUGU STATE
From 9 o’clock market (Afia Nine), a major produce depot at New Layout, Enugu, Chinenye Jessica Edeh reports for The Daily Times.
One of the biggest yam sellers here is Mrs. Justina Onyekperem; she tells FG what yam export is doing to their people:
“What I should let the federal government know about this yam export business is t
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