Efforts are on top gear to ensure that Anambra products hit the international market while meeting the required and certified standards.

 

One of the such efforts is coming from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Anambra State Coordinating Office with the organization of a one-day capacity building programme on “development of vegetables for export in the State”.

During the programme held at Head of Service Conference Hall at the Jerome Udorji State Secretariat in Awka, the NEPC also handed over a set of water pumping machines to Unique Agro Co-operative Society, Amanuke, Awka North Local Government Area to increase their vegetable farming capacity so as to boost the export profile of the State.

 

Addressing the gathering, the Executive Director of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Agheni said that the council have seen the need to intervene in the agro-vegetable value chains in order to double export in 2024; and that, they took backward integration strategy in ensuring that vegetables produced in the state meets standard so as to penetrate the international market.

Mrs. Agheni who spoke through the Head, Anambra Coordinating Office of the council, Mr. Peter Udom also explained that they donated the machines to help them through the farming stage which is one of the problems facing farmers and added that with the capacity building programme, the farmers will learn a lot of things that will help them boost production.

 

She also revealed that the council is embarking on an aggressive campaign to increase production of cassava and vegetables in order to meet export demand.

On her part, the Director of Commerce in Anambra State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Henrietta Basil-Ideh who also doubles as the Secretary of Anambra State Export Promotion Committee maintained that since 2016, Anambra State has been recording a huge success in vegetable production and advised the farmers to stick to organic farming instead of using fertilizers.

The Director of Cooperatives in the ministry, Mrs. Nwabugo Okonkwo commended NEPC for organizing the programme which she said has opened the eyes of the participants on cultivation and packaging of their products and called on all the participants to leverage on all they garnered to boost production and meet up with the demand on the international market.

The Chairman of Unique Agro Co-operative, Amanuke, Mr. Hyacinth Okafor said that they will make judicious use of the equipment and that the programme has given them the opportunity to engage in all season farming to produce more vegetables.

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