The Jigawa State Government and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) collaborate to upscale commercial production of sesame and hibiscus by farmers in the state for local and global markets
The Jigawa State Government has announced that hibiscus and sesame farmers are now fumigating, processing and exporting their products from the state to the world markets.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Export Processing Zone, Haruna Aminu, stated this on Tuesday after the distribution of improved hibiscus seedlings and herbicide to farmers by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) at the Manpower Development Institute (MDI) in Dutse, the state capital.
Mr Aminu said the government is mindful of the international standards that no sesame seeds or hibiscus should be exported without being fumigated.
With this, he said the government now has a fumigation centre at the state export processing zone in Maigatari Local Government Area, which allows the farmers and exporters to easily export any of the sesame and hibiscus anywhere in the world.
Mr Aminu said the intervention by the NEPC on hibiscus production upgraded the scheme through which the farmers can produce adequate and enough hibiscus to the extent that the government went into partnership with a private company named 'ComttraJigawa'.
"Now, in Jigawa, we are not only producing sesame, we are also processing it", Mr Aminu said.
He said that hibiscus is going to be used to establish the farmers. "We want the farmers to be financially independent. That is why, in the 12-point agenda of Governor Umar Namadi, he emphasises entrepreneurial facilities. This is what we are inculcating in the minds of the farmers so they can be financially independent.
"Before now, the farmers could only go to the local markets to look for seeds, but now the NEPC has provided them with certified seeds from a certified organisation, and we are sure there will be more yields," Mr Aminu stated.
At the event, the NEPC Executive Director, Nonye Ayeni, said Jigawa is the largest producer of hibiscus, sesame and Gum Arabic, which is why the NEPC is committed to training the farmers and exporters on agricultural best practices.
"At the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, we pick the top 20 products based on the level of production within the country and aggregate demand in the global market. We are putting more resources, time and commitment into areas where there is more production. We distributed seedlings and herbicide to over 300 farmers.
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"Coming to Jigawa is a continuation of efforts by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council to support farmers to scale up production and to optimally scale up the export of agricultural products to the global market. We are training the farmers and building the capacity of the exporters and the farmers across the country in the various layers of the value change to build up their capacity for good agricultural practices.
"We are also creating market access for them, for instance, the NEPC was able to bring a fumigation centre working with the Mexican government to Jigawa and collaborating with the Mexican government so that we can open opportunities for markets for the farmers and the exporters", Mrs Ayeni said.
The chairman of hibiscus farmers in the state, Muhammad Zakari commended the NEPC for the distribution of seedlings. He, however, said that hibiscus farmers are being challenged by lack of access to market, post harvest losses and the dwindling price of hibiscus in the market.
"What we want from the NEPC is to give the farmers ease of access outside the country that will develop their business. We have enough tons of hibiscus ready for exportation but our problem is the market.
"The problem of post-harvest loss is being addressed by the NEPC. If the government can assist the farmers to form clusters, they will be able to export their products without many obstacles" Mr Zakari said.
