Nigeria has commenced packaging hibiscus for export to the international market.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) disclosed that it will partner with the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) on treatment of hibiscus to meet international standards for exportation.
The Executive Director of NEPC, Ezra Yakusak, inspecting a standard laboratory, fumigation centre, and other facilities for treatment of hibiscus at the Mu’min Foods and Drugs Limited, Kano, said the council would discuss with NAQS to see how it could study the Mexican method of treating hibiscus developed by their indigenous engineers.
The executive director added that the council would collaborate with the service to train more indigenous engineers on the new method; including to study and replicate the method in Nigeria,” without the Mexicans coming to Nigeria to do it for them, as the method was not complicated.”
Yakusak stated: “Some years ago, the foreign buyers of this product banned its import because of the pesticide they detected.
“NEPC had to intervene and I am so happy that now you see a fumigation centre here for treatment of hibiscus for export.
“The problems were due to lack of appropriate certification, but now with this in place, we won’t have cases of hibiscus rejection.
The executive director said that adopting the Mexican method would assist exporters attract more foreign exchange into the Nigerian economy.
The Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Abdullahi Usman, said the company commenced operations some few years ago, but now had become the country’s leading exporter of hibiscus.
The Managing Director said the company fumigates at least 18 containers of hibiscus per day.
Usman stated: “Mexico is the major buyer of hibiscus from Nigeria, buying at least 70 per cent and other countries buying the remaining 30 per cent.
“Farming hibiscus flowers brings money to the farmers easily. In Mexico, they produce about 50 different products with hibiscus.”