Bauchi State Government says on Tuesday that it will establish a one-stop grains shop in the state to curtail menace of food adulteration.
Gov.Bala Muhammed said this in Bauchi while exchanging views with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Omar Bello, who paid him a visit.
Muhammed said that his administration would appoint a desk officer who would ensure that all agricultural products being produced, processed and exported, met global best practices.
He said that the state government would embark on sensitization of farmers and traders against indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, adding that 90 per cent of the population of the state were farmers.
Muhammed stated that in spite of the fact that the state was 100 per cent hopeful of discovering oil and gas deposits, it could not neglect agriculture.
He said that the state government was liaising with agricultural experts in sensitizing the people drop the current practice of subsistence farming and embrace commercial and mechanised approach.
Muhammed therefore directed the state Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the message on safe methods for food production, procession and exports reached farmers and traders in the state.
Bello, the Permanent Secretary, had earlier said that the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals on food items had led to increase in metabolic diseases among Nigerians.
He particularly recalled incidences of food poisoning that occurred at Government Girls School, Bauchi and Hardawa in recent times, as case studies.
Bello said that the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals by farmers and traders had resulted in rejection of agricultural commodities at both regional and international markets.
He also cited the recent ban by European Union on Nigerian cowpea due to residual load of pesticides as a testimony of the predicament.
Bello said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with Women Wing of National Association of Nigeria Traders under “Zero-Rejection Initiative” and other agencies, recently organized a two- day workshop for traders and farmers.
Bello said that participants, drawn from six states within North – East sub-region, were trained on proper food production, processing, storage, marketing and export.
He said that it was aimed at achieving zero rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural produce in both domestic and international markets.
The permanent secretary called on the state government to establish a One-Stop grain shop as obtained at Dawanau Market in Kano State.
“This will go a long way in getting the traders and agricultural commodities in one place for standardization and access.
“Furthermore, the state government’s support for the ban on sale and use of certain chemicals, such as ‘Sniper’ as being advocated by the National Assembly, would also be another way of stemming this problem,” Bello said.(NAN)
