'Safety first' - US explains rejection of yam, garri, other agric produce from Nigeria

The United States Department for Agriculture (USDA) has blamed the rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural products on the lack of safety documentation.

The country’s Councilor for Agriculture Affairs, Christopher Bielecki, revealed this in Abuja on Tuesday, October 7, 2023, at the Food and Safety Expertise Coordination Workshop.

The workshop was organised by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Food and Agricultural Export Alliance (EAA), and the University of Missouri.

Bielecki said the difficulty in exporting Nigerian agricultural products to the world, including the US, is primarily due to a need for appropriate documentation on food safety.

He said his office is working to ensure that food and other agricultural products exported from Nigeria to the US align with the importing rules of food safety regulations and laws.

The US official said enhancing food safety will help reduce rejections, stimulate trade, help Nigeria improve food and agricultural trade, and boost GDP and foreign reserves.

The Guardian reports that Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, stated that the ministry is set to vet the revised National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.

He also revealed plan to launch the first National Integrated Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Surveillance and Response.

According to the minister, the policy will look at new and emerging areas that will boost the regulatory, enforcement, and data-gathering system, set the roadmap for surveillance of foodborne diseases, and develop the protocols for responding to food safety emergencies in Nigeria.

Pate called for enhanced collaboration by agencies to support the ministry in their commitment to providing effective policies, regulations, and monitoring systems that guarantee improvements in food safety standards and practices.

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Nigeria’s inflation surged to 25.80% in August, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nigeria’s statistics body said that headline inflation surged to 25.80% compared to the July 2023 figure of 24.08%.

The report said the food inflation in August 2023 surged to 29.34% yearly, a 6.22% point higher than the August 2022 figure of 23.12%.

The report said the food inflation in August 2023 surged to 29.34% yearly, a 6.22% point higher than the August 2022 figure of 23.12%.

NBS said that the rise in food inflation yearly was due to an increase in prices of oil and fat, bread and cereals, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, and potatoes.

Also, the prices of yams and other tubers were affected by the current surge in inflation, a Legit.ng report stated.