By citybusinessnews@yahoo.com –
Nigerian yam exporters have refuted news report which alleged rejection of their consignments in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA).
In a statement on Tuesday, the exporters explained that their consignments were successfully cleared at the ports and delivered to their various warehouses.
According to the statement, the concerned exporters “have expressed worries about the potential impact of the negative publicity on their prospects at the export market in the wake of federal government’s initiative on diversification of the economy through agricultural produce export”.
Though they admitted that some cases of tuber spoilage were reported,”These were separated from the good ones, and the good ones were distributed to the buyers”.
The exporters noted that Ghana, “which has been exporting yams for a while, routinely records cases of spoilage, without making any public issues therefrom; and their yams don’t get rejected as a result”.
Mr. Michael Adedipe of ADES UK Foods and Drinks for the UK, was quoted as saying his consignment was not rejected; “It was cleared.”
Adedipe said: “I don’t know why they said the product got rejected. I’ve sent my release note. I’ve sent video of loading. I’ve sent every documentation to say that there is no issue like that at all.”
On the spoilage of yam, Adedipe explained that “the failure has nothing to do with the ministry of agriculture, but the Nigerian Ports Authority. That’s where I see the failure.”
Adedipe, who vowed not to stop yam export business, disclosed that “the other mistake was the shipping line we used. But they were the ones that were available.”
According to him, in spite of the sour experience with media report, “I’m willing to invest. I still expect at least to take a container from Nigeria every week.”
Managing Director, Wan Nyikwagh Farms Nigeria Limited, Mr Yandev Amaabai, also disputed the yam rejection story, adding that it “doesn’t even tally”.
He said: “I am the only person who has lifted yam to the US. Whatever we can do to clarify this issue will be good. We learn as we progress. The whole idea that government brought was to diversify the economy.
“My goods actually got to the US on September 7, 2017. The ship berthed on September 2, 2017, but, because of the flooding in Texas, we couldn’t discharge until the 7th. They were cleared from the Customs and brought to the warehouse on the 7th.
“Our yams were released to us and we took them to the stores. We sorted out our yams when they got there. We distributed them to the off-takers. So, where they got this story from, I don’t know. Nobody has ever called from anywhere, even in the US, to ask me question. If a few yams got rotten, and I am not complaining, why are people crying more than the owner? I have all the papers. The Customs cleared my goods on the other side. And these things went to my warehouse from where we distributed.”
“If Ghana, which produces 4.8 million tonnes of yams, according to 2008 estimates, occupies a niche as the leading exporter of the crop, accounting for over 94 per cent of total yam exports in West Africa, Nigeria which is by far the world’s largest producer of yams, accounting for over 70 to 76 per cent of the world production, producing 35.017 million metric tonnes valued equivalent of US$5.654 billion by the 2008 estimates should do better than Ghana in the export market
“Ghana is the first country in West Africa to launch its national yam development strategy in 2013. The country aims at US$5billion dollars of exports by 2018. Nigeria, which produces seven times Ghana’s production volume, is beset with criticisms over attempts to bring it to the global yam markets. About 90 per cent of Ghana’s yams are exported to the US, Canada, UK and elsewhere in Europe. There are more Nigerians than Ghanaians in these countries, meaning more prospects for Nigerian exporters.
“Chief Ogbeh has said that Nigeria, the largest producer of yam in the world, is not anywhere near the capacity to export and remains so much a nation of consumers. He stressed that “Nigeria must export” as the “country’s economy is increasing, and in ten years’ time, oil and gas is going to drop. Then we may have nothing to earn foreign exchange except we begin to diversify our export base now.”
The statement signed by Special Adviser, Media & Communications, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, explained that with all these prospects in view, the Honourable Minister “expressed surprise at the negative news trailing his laudable effort at putting Nigeria on the global yam export market, saying “we’re not going to stop because this is not enough to demoralise us. We have food to export. Never mind what so-called critics are doing.”
“In the ministry of agriculture,” he said, “we are not exporters. The ministry does not export. We’re going to talk to the port authority on cooling vans for vegetables and fresh produce so that exporters don’t lose money and we don’t lose face. We should begin to build cold trucks that are temperature-controlled to keep the yams till the time they have to go. We should invest in special containers for their storage.
“If other countries are doing it, we too can do it. We’re trying to take over the market. We’ve come to nearly 70 per cent of raw output of yams. Why can’t Nigerians in Texas, Canada, London and Germany have access to the yams?” The Minister vowed that “we will go ahead with our efforts to export yam. We will not let this opportunity slip any further. We are determined to position our people to capture the investment opportunities and benefits in the yam export to these countries. We will fix the yam export value chain. We have the volume and the market.”
“We will emphasise global best practices, engage with world class experts and international organisations as well as leverage the strength in indigenous knowledge. We will support investment in relevant infrastructure and facilities. We will revive the abandoned yam conditioning centres in Ekiti and Nassarawa states while we encourage the construction of new ones with appropriate equipment to boost storage and export prospects. We appeal to Nigerians, in the spirit of patriotism, to see the silver lining around the cloud of the week of misinformation about yam export.
