CHIEF Jubril Martins-Kuye, minister of commerce and industry, has charged members of the Potato Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (Pogman) and other stakeholders in the sector to work hard to meet the international standards in the production and packaging of potato for export. The minister gave the charge in his key-note address delivered at the opening of a one-day national sensitization workshop on promoting the value chain of potato for wealth creation in Nigeria which held recently in Oshogbo, Osun State .
The minister’s address was delivered by Mr. Usman M. D Gwandu, director commodities and products inspectorate department, federal ministry of commerce and industry.
The minister said that the workshop which was being organized by his ministry was part of the federal government’s effort to promote the agro-allied industry and poverty reduction programme.
He said there was need for the stakeholders to embark on rigorous campaign towards the development of agricultural products with high export potentials as a veritable tool for promoting the non-oil export in Nigeria if our vision of becoming one of the 20th biggest economies in the world was to be realized by year 2020.
The minister pointed out that the United Nations has been so enthralled by the wonders and potentials of potato that it declared the year 2008 as the “International year of the Potato”. It devoted the year to promoting the growing and consumption of this produce, it dubbed “Hidden Treasure” because of its immense economic potentials.
According to him, as research has shown, potato has emerged as a crop of the moment for meat pie, chin-chin, cake, donought, all confectioneries and dishes. It can also be used for cure and to prevent diseases such as vitamin A deficiency and child blindness.
He said that in most foreign countries, it boosts the national GDP and serves as viable means of increasing a favourable balance of payment. To this end, he said that potato as a virile agricultural commodity was capable of contributing to Nigeria’s economy through its envisaged potentials.
Kuye said it was in realization of the above that his ministry recently nurtured and organised the apex national association on potato, the Potato Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (Pogman) in order to make the agric-commodity competitive both locally and internationally.
He said that the association was expected to serve as a link between the private commodity exporters and the federal government. This measure, he said, without doubt would increase the production, processing, value addition, marketing/export and consumption of this wonder produce (potato) and its products.
The minister’s address was delivered by Mr. Usman M. D Gwandu, director commodities and products inspectorate department, federal ministry of commerce and industry.
The minister said that the workshop which was being organized by his ministry was part of the federal government’s effort to promote the agro-allied industry and poverty reduction programme.
He said there was need for the stakeholders to embark on rigorous campaign towards the development of agricultural products with high export potentials as a veritable tool for promoting the non-oil export in Nigeria if our vision of becoming one of the 20th biggest economies in the world was to be realized by year 2020.
The minister pointed out that the United Nations has been so enthralled by the wonders and potentials of potato that it declared the year 2008 as the “International year of the Potato”. It devoted the year to promoting the growing and consumption of this produce, it dubbed “Hidden Treasure” because of its immense economic potentials.
According to him, as research has shown, potato has emerged as a crop of the moment for meat pie, chin-chin, cake, donought, all confectioneries and dishes. It can also be used for cure and to prevent diseases such as vitamin A deficiency and child blindness.
He said that in most foreign countries, it boosts the national GDP and serves as viable means of increasing a favourable balance of payment. To this end, he said that potato as a virile agricultural commodity was capable of contributing to Nigeria’s economy through its envisaged potentials.
Kuye said it was in realization of the above that his ministry recently nurtured and organised the apex national association on potato, the Potato Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (Pogman) in order to make the agric-commodity competitive both locally and internationally.
He said that the association was expected to serve as a link between the private commodity exporters and the federal government. This measure, he said, without doubt would increase the production, processing, value addition, marketing/export and consumption of this wonder produce (potato) and its products.
