The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has said that an agreement has been reached between Nigeria and Mexico on the use of methyl bromide in pre-shipment preservation for quality and standardization of the hibiscus flower. This came after over two and a half years of banning Nigeria from exporting hibiscus flower to Mexico.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting held in Kano State, NAQS Director General, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, said, “as a supervisory agency, I want to state here that we have reached an agreement with Mexico which consumes over 85% of hibiscus flower produced in Nigeria, and we have agreed with the Mexican authorities on exportation processes that need to be complied with to ensure quality and standard of our product. “I want to also make it clear that we have not selected any exporter in preference to another as insinuated, we have done all it takes to see that exportation of hibiscus flower has resumed. However, it is equally very important to note that Nigeria is not the only country that has approved the use of methyl bromide for pre-shipment storage. With the cooperation of major players along the value chain of hibiscus flower production, we have completed all arrangements to resume exportation to Mexico”. Similarly, National President, Hibiscus Exporters Association of Nigeria, Mr. Olatunji Lawal, said Nigeria lost a lot of revenue as a result of the ban.
News Credit: Daily Trust