Barring the decimation of the agro community in parts of Zakibiam, Wukari and other key Yam producing communities by the dreaded Fulani herdsmen, Benue State will begin the processing, marketing and packaging of yam for export in June this year.
This was revealed Thursday, by the Head of Nigerian Export Promotion Council’s (NEPC) Export Assistance Office in Benue, Mr. Emmanuel Etim in Makurdi.
Explaining more on the preparedness for the resumption of export during a two-day stakeholders training and awareness for Nigerian Yam Export Programme, Etim noted that the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh, would inaugurate the first batch of packaged Nigerian yam for export at Lagos port on June 26.
The programme was aimed at placing Nigeria as a key player in global market through strategic yam export development programmes.
Etim said the NEPC would transform Nigeria’s yam production, processing, packaging and warehousing to meet international standards, drawing from other countries’ yam export experiences.
