Nigeria’s yam export campaign and challenge of standardisation

The recent rejection of Nigeria’s yam by the United State is an indictment on the Nigerian government yam exporters and farmers, questioning the country’s regard for global standards.

Despite Ghana recording a lower yield per hectare in yam production (8 tons per hectare) compare to Nigeria’s 11 tons per hectare, the Ghanaian yam export campaign is gaining more traction than that of Nigeria, BusinessDay’s investigation show.

According to experts, Nigeria can only realise its export potential and diversify its revenue through agriculture when its products can meet international standards and compete favourably with other products in the international market.

BusinessDay findings show that many foods and finished products of Nigeria origin are also rejected in the Americas, Asia and the UK owing to poor adherence to standards.

“When you deny people quick and easy registration, you are pushing them to cut corners. Some of our regulatory agencies waste a lot of time in registration and even deny exporters registration for pecuniary purposes. When they do this, exporters smuggle their products out, which may not be inspected,” said Jon Tudy Kachikwu, a food exporter and chairman of Lagos Chamber of Commerce SME Group.

Currently, Ghana exports about 35,000 metric tons of yams which accounts for 94 percent of the total yam exports in West Africa, a position Nigeria hopes to take in the next four years with its recent yam export initiative.

According to exporters, several challenges are needed to be addressed in order to expand the country’s export for it to contribute to structural change and help promote agriculture sector growth, which are vital for sustaining economic growth and development.

Experts say that the country do not have an effective cold chain infrastructure, stating that the yam export drive can only be successful with adequate infrastructural facilities such as storage, good road networks amongst others, which according to them have made cost of yam production higher in the country.

Apart from infrastructural deficit, good market penetration and effective packaging on the part of the exporter is vital for the nation’s quest in boosting its export volume, experts say.

The world of product marketing is the world of appearance. Like the typical physicalist or materialist, the consumer believes in what he sees, feels, touches or perceives. The consumer tends to look at the physical attributes of a product first before considering whether it meets the standards or not.

According to experts, the international market is based on standards and such standards are to be met before the goods of any nation can go far at the global market, stating that packaging is key in the export business.