In June 2015, the EU banned all Nigerian dry bean imports on the grounds that they contain high levels of pesticide considered dangerous to human health. This week, the EI has decided to extend the ban for a further three years after no sign that Nigerian food safety officials have come up with means of addressing the problem.
Dr Vincent Isegbe, the coordinating director of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) lamented the fact that the extension came at a time when the federal government and its relevant agencies were working to ensure get the ban lifted this month. He added that EU officials have accused Nigeria of not doing enough to get the ban lifted but disputed this claim.
An EU official said: “The continued presence of dichlorvos pesticide in dried beans imported from Nigeria and maximum residue levels of pesticides shows that compliance with food law requirement as regards pesticide residual cannot be achieved in the short term.The duration of the importation prohibition should therefore be extended for an additional period of three years to allow Nigeria implement the appropriate risk-management measure and provide required guarantees.
“The measures provided for in this regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the standing committee on plants, animals, food and feed This extension should serve as opportunity for stakeholders to put their hands together to correct the mistake."
Dr Isegbe called for sensitisation of Nigerian stakeholders, especially farmers to do the needful from the farming stage and ensure that this embarrassment does not repeat itself. Nigeria now has until 2018 to eradicate pesticide residues in its dry beans or the ban could be extended further.
Comments
Post a Comment