The Federal Government through Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has disclosed its plan to bring sanity to the use and business of agro-chemicals in the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, made this known in Abuja at a stakeholder’s workshop on Agro-chemicals Manufacturing, Importation, Marketing, Distribution and Handling.
Umakhihe who was represented by Mr Ishaku Buba, the Deputy Director, Input Use and Agro Farm Inputs Support Services Department, disclosed that in spite of the importance of agro-chemical, its misused, over used and under use could pose great threat and consequences to plants, human, animal, soil and environment.
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Umakhihe explained that any plan to reduce or eliminate the effects of agro-chemicals on diverse hosts have to be pursued vigorously, adding that some products banned from use in other parts of the world, particularly the European Union, have found their way into the Nigeria markets from unscrupulous people.
“In order to address this ugly situation, the ministry working with the relevant House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, are tidying up a regulatory framework to ensure sanity in the agro-chemicals or pesticide business.
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“Pursuant to this, the National Fertilizer Quality Control Act 2019, is being repealed to incorporate pesticides bill in order to regulate the rampant abuses in the agro-chemicals operations,” he said.
The Director, Farm Inputs Support Services Department, Mr Muhammad Kwaido, represented by Mrs Janet Igoh, Assistant Director, Organic Fertilizer Development and Promotion, Farm inputs Supply Services, noted that the residual accumulation of some agro-chemicals in the country’s soils and foods was of great threat to lives and environment as some of the these residues are carcinogenic capable of causing cancer and other diseases.
