We over-produce food in Nigeria – Agric Minister, Ogbeh
By Chijioke Jannah on June 30, 2017

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has said Nigeria produce more food than the people can consume.
He stated that a huge chunk of the food got wasted due to poor storage facilities across the country.

He stated this yesterday while flagging-off the Nigeria Yam Export.
Speaking at the event, Ogbeh pointed out export as one of the ways Nigeria can prevent food wastage, lamenting the country’s poor preservation capacity.
He also stressed the need for Nigeria to begin to earn more foreign exchange by exporting yam.

According to him, “there is really no shortage, new yams will be here in two weeks. The old stock is still there everywhere and people in the market are getting worried that new yams will come and nobody will touch the old ones.”
“We actually over produce food here (in Nigeria), 30% to 40% of some of the food we produce is wasted because of poor preservation capacity,” the Minister stated.

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Is this minister stu pid ?

This gerontocrat is still campaigning. Hunger is in the land like never before

When this man talks you just feel the lack of knowledge reeking out of his speech.

Flagging off a Yam export program means nothing when you are doing nothing to assist agribusinesses to surmountingchallenges the huge barriers already imposed by export receiving countries.

Does Audu Ogbeh have any idea that you require Phytosanitary certificates to make exports. Shouldn't you be training exporters on how to meet these conditions.

Is he aware that GlobalGap is an almost compulsory requirement if you must sell your produce to supermarkets across Europe. Is he aware that to get a GlobalGap certificate, you actually need to fly in certifiers from Europe or at worse Kenya to inspect your farm. Why are there no GlobalGap certifiers in Nigeria. Shouldn't Audu Ogbeh be looking for how to get them established here?

Truth is Nigerians have been exporting yams to US and Europe since time Immemorial. But Ghana that barely produces yams are doing a much better job and have dominated the yam market globally for a bit.

It's also kind of shameful that there is a lot of noise about 72 tonnes of yam. We(my company) currently ships above that quantity monthly on sweet potatoes. And we've had to struggle it ourselves against the terrible barriers from the Nigerian Government.

The FG doesn't need to be exporting yams, it's just simply needs to create the right policies and remove the bureacratic bottlenecks that prevent Entrepreneurs from doing these things

What a shameful statement coming from a minister ..we over produce food yet this govt goes cap in hand begging for food aid to feed IDPs in ths north ? What a big big big shame

[/b]“We actually over produce food here (in Nigeria), 30% to 40% of some of the food we produce is wasted because of poor preservation capacity,” the Minister stated"[b]
Stupid old man appointed by a super-clueless dullard to over-see this important Min.of Agriculture.Since Adewunmi Adeshina left that ministry,it was obvious it'll never be the same again therein.Nigerians are dying of hunger because of the high cost of food stuff yet this mumu is here bragging about exporting yams.Nigeria truly deserves it's leaders.

Of a truth, storage is a problem farmers are faced with in this country but whether we over produce?... it's a lie 'cause the cost of even locally produced goods is expensive.

I quite agree with the minister.
We do tend to over produce a certain kind of crop in a particular season, then we fail to preserve such crops till they get spoilt and wasted.
After the season of such crops, the prices skyrocket but during its season supply exceeds demand and the prices fall.
So we need to either start drastic preservative methods or we begin to export the leftovers and obtain greenback.

I hate to be the one to burst your bubble if you have been grinning from molar to molar, celebrating Pa Audu's "incredible feat" of exporting 72 tonnes of yam to the US and UK. I watched the report on AIT. Nicely packaged yam, in lovely cartons. I was tempted to celebrate Pa Audu for this achievement. Then I ran the numbers.

According to the May 2017 report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 1kg of yam goes for N256. This means that 72 tonnes of yam would have a street value of N18 million. Do the math. Forget that this is less than 50% of the volume of trade on a good day in Katsina Ala yam market every week. Anyway, the yam was well packed, and then freighted to the US and UK. Lets us assume than the packaging and freight cost N3 million (and it might be a lot more, given that yam is heavy). So we have about N15 million net worth of yam (18 - 3 = 15). Assuming we sell it at twice the price, we would make a profit of N15 million. Again, let us assume that we did not incur additional cost in the transaction. So, here is the summary: we exported 72 tonnes of yam, and made N15 million. Good business, good profit.

Now this is where I am going with this: if 72 tonnes of yam is processed to pharmaceutical grade starch, (PGS) (that is the major component of tablets and capsules), we will get about 9.7 tonnes of pure PGS. I am a pharmacist, I know. Depending on your source, pharmaceutical grade starch goes for anywhere from $20 - 40/kg in the international market. And you can google this up. Pa Audu's 72 tonnes of yam is therefore worth a princely N102 million if it was processed to PGS (assuming it is sold for $30/kg, just to be conservative). So, N18 million worth of yam, processed to N102 million, profit of about 84 million.

The question is, has Audu made N15 million or lost N84 million?

Imagine, for instance, that Benue State was interested in setting up a starch production plant in Katsina Ala. Would we need to export 72 tonnes of starch to make N15 million, instead of making 84 million? And this is a state that makes a pitiable IGR of N250 million per month. The same Benue produces arguably half of the oranges in the country but there is no single fruit juice making industry in the state. This is not about Benue.

Nigeria produces 50 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, 20% of world production according to FAO, but what do we do with it? We convert it to fufu and eat. Zero percent is processed to PGS or other value-added products. If only half of it is processed to PGS, we would be making N35 billion per annum in sales. Again, open Excel and do the math.

So we have Audu exporting yam, exporting jobs, loosing revenue and feeling cool. And we have Gov. Ortom in the background, loving the spotlight of this new enterprise, waiting for applause. He cannot see the opportunities and the waste. He cannot understand why IGR is only N250m/month. Then we have the federal government exporting crude, exporting jobs, messing us all up.

They we have us, eating 50 million metric tonnes of cassava, converting it to pooh when we can convert it to cash.

And we want to be called a developing country.

Yet there is massive hunger in this land.....
Children are even malnourished all over. Is it not the same man that said PDP will be in power for 50 yes? He's a fake prophet.

Papa Browne and Mcreloaded your comments are quite educating..grabs pen. and paper. poor and shortsighted advisers are one of the problems our leaders are blessed with. .we will get there someday. .

He's actually right if people bothered to do their own research and put claim in context. Alot of food doesn't have place to go to market. Nigeria for example doesn't have a robust commodity exchange market. The big issue their was storage and Standards.

States should do more to encourage co-ops and maybe building storage facilities.

uzobaby:
Papa Browne and Mcreloaded your comments are quite educating..grabs pen. and paper. poor and shortsighted advisers are one of the problems our leaders are blessed with. .we will get there someday. .

I hope so I sincerely hope so because by now Nigeria would have become the giant of Africa. Let's change the little we can and keep on hoping

A. P. C.

PapaBrowne:
When this man talks you just feel the lack of knowledge reeking out of his speech.

Flagging off a Yam export program means nothing when you are doing nothing to assist agribusinesses to surmountingchallenges the huge barriers already imposed by export receiving countries.

Does Audu Ogbeh have any idea that you require Phytosanitary certificates to make exports. Shouldn't you be training exporters on how to meet these conditions.

Is he aware that GlobalGap is an almost compulsory requirement if you must sell your produce to supermarkets across Europe. Is he aware that to get a GlobalGap certificate, you actually need to fly in certifiers from Europe or at worse Kenya to inspect your farm. Why are there no GlobalGap certifiers in Nigeria. Shouldn't Audu Ogbeh be looking for how to get them established here?

Truth is Nigerians have been exporting yams to US and Europe since time Immemorial. But Ghana that barely produces yams are doing a much better job and have dominated the yam market globally for a bit.

It's also kind of shameful that there is a lot of noise about 72 tonnes of yam. We(my company) currently ships above that quantity monthly on sweet potatoes. And we've had to struggle it ourselves against the terrible barriers from the Nigerian Government.

The FG doesn't need to be exporting yams, it's just simply needs to create the right policies and remove the bureacratic bottlenecks that prevent Entrepreneurs from doing these things

Thanks for the insight...

How can one fo into this exportation of foodstuffs just like your company?

Personality I think this man should replace buhari in London, but when I remember it took Mr integrity 6months to appoint him out of the numerous talents we have in Nigeria, and I also remember that zombies brought us to this conclusion of confusion ..... All I can day thunder fire all of una.

PapaBrowne:
When this man talks you just feel the lack of knowledge reeking out of his speech.

Flagging off a Yam export program means nothing when you are doing nothing to assist agribusinesses to surmountingchallenges the huge barriers already imposed by export receiving countries.

Does Audu Ogbeh have any idea that you require Phytosanitary certificates to make exports. Shouldn't you be training exporters on how to meet these conditions.

Is he aware that GlobalGap is an almost compulsory requirement if you must sell your produce to supermarkets across Europe. Is he aware that to get a GlobalGap certificate, you actually need to fly in certifiers from Europe or at worse Kenya to inspect your farm. Why are there no GlobalGap certifiers in Nigeria. Shouldn't Audu Ogbeh be looking for how to get them established here?

Truth is Nigerians have been exporting yams to US and Europe since time Immemorial. But Ghana that barely produces yams are doing a much better job and have dominated the yam market globally for a bit.

It's also kind of shameful that there is a lot of noise about 72 tonnes of yam. We(my company) currently ships above that quantity monthly on sweet potatoes. And we've had to struggle it ourselves against the terrible barriers from the Nigerian Government.

The FG doesn't need to be exporting yams, it's just simply needs to create the right policies and remove the bureacratic bottlenecks that prevent Entrepreneurs from doing these things

lol Audu Ogbeh is about the biggest farmer in Nigeria. He even has farms outside Nigeria, for your info.

Benita27:
Of a truth, storage is a problem farmers are faced with in this country but whether we over produce?... it's a lie 'cause the cost of even locally produced goods is expensive.

That your food items are expensive does not mean you are not overproducing. There are many factors responsible for this:
1.Low-yield seedlings and inefficient cultivation procedures employed by farmers,

2. Wastage due to inadequate storage facilities and technologies, especially for perishable crops. Hence, the cost is passed on whatever they are able to preserve,

3.Transportation and others.

psucc:
We over-produce food in Nigeria – Agric Minister, Ogbeh
By Chijioke Jannah on June 30, 2017

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has said Nigeria produce more food than the people can consume.
He stated that a huge chunk of the food got wasted due to poor storage facilities across the country.

He stated this yesterday while flagging-off the Nigeria Yam Export.
Speaking at the event, Ogbeh pointed out export as one of the ways Nigeria can prevent food wastage, lamenting the country’s poor preservation capacity.
He also stressed the need for Nigeria to begin to earn more foreign exchange by exporting yam.

According to him, “there is really no shortage, new yams will be here in two weeks. The old stock is still there everywhere and people in the market are getting worried that new yams will come and nobody will touch the old ones.”
“We actually over produce food here (in Nigeria), 30% to 40% of some of the food we produce is wasted because of poor preservation capacity,” the Minister stated.

Those apc people dont know that they are now the government.

One would ask, what exactly the confused apc government doing about the "poor storage facilities across the country" mentioned by the minister.

Apc is full of propaganda. After their tenure of uselessness they will start seeking for forgiveness, including all the zon B posting trash here on NL. Hope everyone won't forget them soon

Mcreloaded:
I hate to be the one to burst your bubble if you have been grinning from molar to molar, celebrating Pa Audu's "incredible feat" of exporting 72 tonnes of yam to the US and UK. I watched the report on AIT. Nicely packaged yam, in lovely cartons. I was tempted to celebrate Pa Audu for this achievement. Then I ran the numbers.

According to the May 2017 report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 1kg of yam goes for N256. This means that 72 tonnes of yam would have a street value of N18 million. Do the math. Forget that this is less than 50% of the volume of trade on a good day in Katsina Ala yam market every week. Anyway, the yam was well packed, and then freighted to the US and UK. Lets us assume than the packaging and freight cost N3 million (and it might be a lot more, given that yam is heavy). So we have about N15 million net worth of yam (18 - 3 = 15). Assuming we sell it at twice the price, we would make a profit of N15 million. Again, let us assume that we did not incur additional cost in the transaction. So, here is the summary: we exported 72 tonnes of yam, and made N15 million. Good business, good profit.

Now this is where I am going with this: if 72 tonnes of yam is processed to pharmaceutical grade starch, (PGS) (that is the major component of tablets and capsules), we will get about 9.7 tonnes of pure PGS. I am a pharmacist, I know. Depending on your source, pharmaceutical grade starch goes for anywhere from $20 - 40/kg in the international market. And you can google this up. Pa Audu's 72 tonnes of yam is therefore worth a princely N102 million if it was processed to PGS (assuming it is sold for $30/kg, just to be conservative). So, N18 million worth of yam, processed to N102 million, profit of about 84 million.

The question is, has Audu made N15 million or lost N84 million?

Imagine, for instance, that Benue State was interested in setting up a starch production plant in Katsina Ala. Would we need to export 72 tonnes of starch to make N15 million, instead of making 84 million? And this is a state that makes a pitiable IGR of N250 million per month. The same Benue produces arguably half of the oranges in the country but there is no single fruit juice making industry in the state. This is not about Benue.

Nigeria produces 50 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, 20% of world production according to FAO, but what do we do with it? We convert it to fufu and eat. Zero percent is processed to PGS or other value-added products. If only half of it is processed to PGS, we would be making N35 billion per annum in sales. Again, open Excel and do the math.

So we have Audu exporting yam, exporting jobs, loosing revenue and feeling cool. And we have Gov. Ortom in the background, loving the spotlight of this new enterprise, waiting for applause. He cannot see the opportunities and the waste. He cannot understand why IGR is only N250m/month. Then we have the federal government exporting crude, exporting jobs, messing us all up.

They we have us, eating 50 million metric tonnes of cassava, converting it to pooh when we can convert it to cash.

And we want to be called a developing country.

u made valid points. But I watched an IITA personnel from ghana speak on this development. Ghana does same, and he said Nigeria will do better than ghana with time to come. processing it to PGS is a plan on the table. but u can't start it if you haven't gotten a bilateral trade agreement with a country who is willing to buy from you.
Let us start from here and start writing proposal to the ministry of agriculture that we can process to PGS

fyneguy:


lol Audu Ogbeh is about the biggest farmer in Nigeria. He even has farms outside Nigeria, for your info.

So, does that mean he isn't ignorant on the issue ? This is the same Man who said Dangote tomato factory in Kano was the cause of tomato scarcity last year. The company had to come out and deny, explaining that it too was suffering tomato shortage as a result of Tomato Ebola that ravaged farms.

Then , do something about it. He's a working minister though.

Caseless:
Then , do something about it.
He's a working minister though.

Yeah
He is performing wonders
Just like his boss Buhari

Weldone sir

zombieHUNTER:
Yeah He is performing wonders Just like his boss Buhari
Weldone sir

get lost.

We over produce food and yet the price of food is very very high.

Naija always defying gravity and forces of demand and supply...

Another Lai from APC

Caseless:
get lost.

be found

Nigeria produce enough food yet hunger is on the increase? Somebody should slap the lies out of Ogbe with that giant spoon.

Mcreloaded:
I hate to be the one to burst your bubble if you have been grinning from molar to molar, celebrating Pa Audu's "incredible feat" of exporting 72 tonnes of yam to the US and UK. I watched the report on AIT. Nicely packaged yam, in lovely cartons. I was tempted to celebrate Pa Audu for this achievement. Then I ran the numbers.

According to the May 2017 report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 1kg of yam goes for N256. This means that 72 tonnes of yam would have a street value of N18 million. Do the math. Forget that this is less than 50% of the volume of trade on a good day in Katsina Ala yam market every week. Anyway, the yam was well packed, and then freighted to the US and UK. Lets us assume than the packaging and freight cost N3 million (and it might be a lot more, given that yam is heavy). So we have about N15 million net worth of yam (18 - 3 = 15). Assuming we sell it at twice the price, we would make a profit of N15 million. Again, let us assume that we did not incur additional cost in the transaction. So, here is the summary: we exported 72 tonnes of yam, and made N15 million. Good business, good profit.

Now this is where I am going with this: if 72 tonnes of yam is processed to pharmaceutical grade starch, (PGS) (that is the major component of tablets and capsules), we will get about 9.7 tonnes of pure PGS. I am a pharmacist, I know. Depending on your source, pharmaceutical grade starch goes for anywhere from $20 - 40/kg in the international market. And you can google this up. Pa Audu's 72 tonnes of yam is therefore worth a princely N102 million if it was processed to PGS (assuming it is sold for $30/kg, just to be conservative). So, N18 million worth of yam, processed to N102 million, profit of about 84 million.

The question is, has Audu made N15 million or lost N84 million?

Imagine, for instance, that Benue State was interested in setting up a starch production plant in Katsina Ala. Would we need to export 72 tonnes of starch to make N15 million, instead of making 84 million? And this is a state that makes a pitiable IGR of N250 million per month. The same Benue produces arguably half of the oranges in the country but there is no single fruit juice making industry in the state. This is not about Benue.

Nigeria produces 50 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, 20% of world production according to FAO, but what do we do with it? We convert it to fufu and eat. Zero percent is processed to PGS or other value-added products. If only half of it is processed to PGS, we would be making N35 billion per annum in sales. Again, open Excel and do the math.

So we have Audu exporting yam, exporting jobs, loosing revenue and feeling cool. And we have Gov. Ortom in the background, loving the spotlight of this new enterprise, waiting for applause. He cannot see the opportunities and the waste. He cannot understand why IGR is only N250m/month. Then we have the federal government exporting crude, exporting jobs, messing us all up.

They we have us, eating 50 million metric tonnes of cassava, converting it to pooh when we can convert it to cash.

And we want to be called a developing country.

Your deep knowledge on this issue is apparent. We need to push beyond these mere exports as we see earning more dollars to do owambe. We have a market that can raise sufficient revenues to support our developments but heck, our current leaders went through a British education to supply the foreign market. We must begin to look at satiating our domestic needs
Secondly , Audu Ogbeh seems not to be in touch with modern economy. Lets start, the minimum wage in Nigeria is 18,000 what percentage of that is expected to be spent on feeding a family of 6 monthly? What are the current market prices of balanced diets that will feed such family in a month?

I hate hearing stuffs like these from supposed leaders, if you over produce it should reflect in lower prices!

zombieHUNTER:
be found

i'm here.