Nigeria Loses $3bn Annually To Agric Inputs Counterfeiting – NIAS

Registrar/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Institute for Animal Science, Eustace Iyayi, has said the country loses over $3 billion annually to agricultural counterfeiting and low-quality inputs.

Prof Iyayi stated this at a workshop organized by the institute in collaboration with Promex Multi-Services Nigeria Ltd to combat day-old chick adulteration in the South East in Umuahia, Abia State.

He expressed optimism that with the introduction of farmsured technology; and a regulatory instrument to combat the adulteration, the institute was committed to enhance food security in the country.

In his keynote lecture entitled; ‘Farmsured technology: A regulatory instrument for checking day-old chick adulteration in Nigeria’, the CEO, Agdyna Ltd, Ayo Okediji, decried noncompliance with best agricultural practices in the country.

The commissioner for agriculture, Monica Ironkwe, assured that the Alex Otti-led administration would collaborate with the institute in repositioning animal husbandry in the state.

Prof  Ironkwe said: “We will do things differently to ensure food security in the state. This administration is going to promote animal production as we all depend so much on it.”

She commended the institute for its commitment to the development of agriculture in the country, urging the participants to take the knowledge gained seriously.

The head, inspectorate and compliance department of the institute, Olufemi Atunbi, said the use of technology to guarantee day-old chick protection and quality was long overdue.

In his remarks, the representative of the institute’s council, Prof. Kelvin Amaefula, said the institute was driven by the need to improve animal production in the country hence, the need for the workshop.