Audu Ogbeh

Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh has said arrangements have been concluded by his ministry to export its first container load of yams to Europe in June this year.

He made the disclosure in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the achievements of his ministry since the current administration came into power two years ago.

“In another two years, we will be back on the world stage where every country  recognized and expected Nigeria to live up to the name ,‘ Major Food Producer’,” Ogbeh said.

“On the 29th of June this year, the first container of yams will be leaving the shores of Nigeria for UK,” he added.

He also stated that although the country had been exporting vegetables, beans and cowpeas to India, plans were underway to start  large scale exportation of cocoa and cashew nuts to Vietnam.

He further revealed that some of the challenges facing the ministry included difficulty in the procurement of machinery, unstable electricity and the sudden drop in the value of the naira. This, according to Ogbeh, is why the ministry is concentrating on exporting raw agricultural produce which need little or no processing.