Aba (Abia) – The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Tuesday urged exporters of agricultural commodities to obtain certification for them.
Speaking at a one-day stakeholders forum in Aba, Abia on Tuesday, the Director of Operations in the organisation, Mr Felix Nyado, said the certification was necessary to avoid returning the commodities to Nigeria after shipment.
“We have standards for agricultural commodities. We have brought out a standard code for each commodity and how to handle them from planting, harvesting to getting them to the table because of the issues of rejection.
“We now have a code of practice that covers the food value chain. So, if you now want to export agricultural produce from this country, there is a standard for them. Go to our offices and obtain those standards.
“If you want additional requirements as it applies with countries requiring these commodities, ask SON and we will go through our collaborations with other national standards bureau to give you the required standard.
“I can assure you that most of the commodities exported are determined by our standards. And so, if you comply with our standards, you will meet the standards applicable where you want to export to,’’ he said.
The director said that some agricultural produce shipped outside Nigeria in the past might have been returned for not meeting the standards because SON had not developed standards for them.
Nyado said that any agricultural produce exported from Nigeria currently which followed the SON regulations would certainly be accepted in its country of destination.
The director said the forum was designed to enlighten the manufacturers, exporters and importers on the standards required to qualify their goods to compete at the local and international markets.
He noted that SON was collaborating with other government agencies by cooperating and delegating responsibilities to them to ensure that its goal was achieved.
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Some stakeholders who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) tasked SON to work with other agencies to help them produce quality goods with low prices.
The Managing Director of an agro-allied company from Akwa Ibom, Mr Sampson Akpan, urged SON to make the event regular to educate Nigerian producers on how to sustain quality.
He said that government should provide the enabling environment for manufacturers to encourage them to invest more to provide jobs for unemployed youths.
Another producer, Mr Dickson Nwachukwu, called on the government to revive leather tanneries to feed their supply chain.
He said the reinvigoration of critical industries would help to stabilise the nation’s economy, save foreign exchange and provide jobs.
Nwachukwu called on SON to give manufacturers who paid for SONCAP the certificate without delay so that they would not accumulate demurrage in the ports. (NAN)
