By Gloria Ikibah
As Nigeria continues to grapple with the issue of food insecurity, an Agriculturist, Ambassador Oluwasegun Alabi has said that the nation loses a massive N50 million daily to importation of pineapples despite producing about 1,607,200 metric tons per annum, placing the country as the eight largest producers of the crop in the world.
According to him, despite Nigeria’s comparative advantage, it still imports pineapple from Ghana and Togo, who are ranked 13th and 16th producers of pineapple in the world by the Food and Agricultural Organisation.
Alabi who stated this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja, said Nigeria was only able to meet 50 percent of its pineapple demand needs annually despite high demand from Asian countries.
He also explained that the pineapple being cultivated in Nigeria does not meet the required standard for industrial use because the farmers failed to complied with good agricultural practices resulting in subpar fruit quality which makes them unsuitable for export and industrial use.
Alabi who is the Chief Executive Officer of Davidorlah Farms, added that without proper processing facilities to package pineapples, Nigerians cannot export value added products such as canned pineapples and pineapple concentrated juice thereby leaving the country out of the global market.
He further explained that Pineapple as the 5th most consumed fruit in the world, holds a unique position as one of the luxury produce items in the global market, and the demand for pineapples consistently exceeds the supply, making it a highly lucrative crop.
According to the expert, despite the growing global demand for pineapples, Nigeria’s agricultural sector is yet to fully tap into this opportunity.
He said: “One of the key challenges is the inconsistency in the quality of produce, stemming from outdated farming practices, stressing that many Nigerian farmers lack access to modern knowledge, resources, and infrastructure required to meet international standards.
“A new discovery has unveiled the incredible versatility of pineapples, revealing that they can be used to produce a variety of items such as clothing, shoes, bags, disposable plates, spoons, and even biofuel. Coupled with the well-known health benefits of pineapples. All these factors has made the demand for pineapple in the world increase immensely.
“With vast, fertile land, Nigeria has the potential not only to meet its domestic pineapple demand but also to become a leading global exporter. However, despite favorable climatic conditions, Nigeria has struggled to position itself as a key plaver in the international pineapple market.
“Instead, the country continues to import pineapples and related products, missing out on potential export revenue and global trade opportunities. Nigeria’s inability to capitalize on its pineapple production can be traced to several key challenges.
“We urge the government to create an enabling environment that fosters business growth and allows the private sector to thrive. To further address the pressing issue of food security crisis in Nigeria, it is essential for the government to further engage the right people in the agricultural sector- individuals, organization with proven track records and a deep understanding of the industry, who can offer informed and strategic advice on how to solve these challenges with urgency”.