A one day meeting on enhancing global feasibility of made-in-Anambra products has ended with a call on farmers and others in agro-produce value chain and industry to transit fully into organic farming.

 

The meeting organized by the Anambra State Committee on Export Promotion, ASCEP, of the state Ministry of Commerce and Industry held at the Jerome Udorji State Secretariat in vAwka.

The meeting attracted different federal and state agencies involved in exportation, stakeholders and other dealers as they shared ideas on how to address the different challenges hindering Anambra products from meeting international exportation standards.

 

The one-day meeting had the agenda as ‘To Double Export in Anambra for 2024″

Addressing the gathering, the Acting Director, Commerce Department, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Henrietta Basil-Ibeh who is also the Secretary of Anambra State Committee on Export Promotion, said the meeting aimed to sensitize exporters on best procedures for exportation.

 

Mrs. Basil-Ibeh maintained that the state has been exporting cassava and vegetables but the present administration is making more efforts to ensure that more Anambra products meet international standard and become available in the international market while she called on exporters to ensure they go through every necessary procedure required to avoid regrets.

Deliberating on how it concerns Nigerian Custom Service, the state Deputy Comptroller, Mrs. Elizabeth Ngovou regretted that some exporters prefer to cut corners and asked them to first clear with customs service before approaching bonded terminals.

 

In a goodwill message, a representative of the Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, Engineer Fideus Wariboko told the exporters to represent the sobriquet of the state better by ensuring that their products are certified, meet international quality and standard and lamented that many products are rejected because of the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

In their separate speeches, two members of the committee, Messrs Mike Mojeke and Dara Chijioke-Okechukwu disclosed that exporting from Anambra have been so difficult because of lack of information and advocated a one-stop-shop where exporters will easily go and find solutions on how to export easily.