The Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Japanese External Trade Organisation have trained Nigerian farmers on the development of spices to meet the standard of the Japanese competitive market.Speaking at a seminar organised for farmers on Thursday in Lagos, an international food expert, Mr. Ichimaru Norio, said the Nigerian spices had opportunity in the Japanese market.Norio said, "Nigerian products have the potential to break into the Japanese market, even when the country imports from other countries of the world." He urged the Nigerian farmers to improve on their packaging, adding that it would go a long way to determine the strength of the products in the market."Nigerian spices have strong flavour and good taste, and must meet a standard before they will be able to gain ground. Nigeria product is very good but must be packaged well," he said.NEPC Executive Director, Mr. David Adulagba, while delivering the keynote address, said, training of farmers and producers on the exportation of spices and food related products was essential for the country to improve its economy.Adulagba said, "Farmers should be provided with excellent opportunities to exchange views among people with extensive experience and intensive insight in developing spice product for export market."He noted, "The world in recent time has seen growing awareness and critical concern about health and environmental issues that impact and dictate exporters ability to gain sustainable market access."According to him, exporters must seek to meet up with the technological standard, adding that it would promote the countrys exporting experience."Exporters must come to terms with issues that bother on adoption of hi- tech in food processing, set up in-house quality control laboratory and quality certification, and provide assistance that is vital towards adoption of good agricultural practices to help Nigeria acquire distinct image as an international processing hub for quality food product."The Area Controller (South) of the NEPC, Mr. Mattew Abogun explained that farmers must meet the Japanese Agricultural Standard, market access, importing procedures, restriction order on products and quality specification.Abogun said "Quality have become a prerequisite for successfulmarket access, and technical requirement in the international marketplace has to be met by exporters."According to him, 70% of the problems faced by exporters due to non- tariff measures are in the area of technical barriers to trade and sanitary measures.JETRO commissioner in Lagos, Mr. Taku Hiroki said many Nigerians producer lacked basic knowledge of the Japanese market and this pose some challenges on them.Taku said "The farmers need to be trained on some basic knowledge and requirements by the Japanese market for them to flourish well.We are partnering in this seminar to bring the Japanese market down to Nigerian farmers and producers, since not all the companies have the export experience to meet the standard."They have to drive raw materials to meet the consumers requirement, with necessary support from national quality and technical adaptation requirement," he said.Representative from Japan International Co operation Agency, Kazumi Yamamoto said farmers and producer must have adequate information about the technical requirement, the market condition and standard applicable to various importing countries.
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