ANAMBRA State has stepped up aggressive plans to export Nigerian agricultural produce into the UK having just received an order to ship tonnages of the scent leaf known as Nchuanwu over the next two months.
Over the last year, the state has successfully shipped N5m (£12,662) worth of the vegetable Ugu to Europe and hopes to build on this with further exports. To meet the demand for the export, 40 cooperative societies from the three senatorial zones of the state have been empowered to grow the vegetable to be able to meet the order.
Representatives of the cooperative societies, who were tutored on the processes involved in the cultivation of the vegetable for two days in Awka, were given three water pumps each with suction and discharge facilities. They were also provided with a special type of fertilizer and some quantities of the scent leaves.
Nneka Onwudiwe, Governor Willie Obiano's spokesman, said: “Usually we do dry season farming but because the state is exporting vegetables, we decided to grow Nchuanwu at this time because we have ready up-takers, who will export the vegetable so that we can meet the demand of those who have placed orders.”
She urged the farmers to work hard to meet the terms of the UK order. Of late, Nigeria's state have stepped up plans to diversify their economies and export local produce in response to the fall in crude oil prices that has drastically reduced foreign exchange earnings.
Comments
Post a Comment