FG to ban importation of tomato paste
The minister said the ban would be on health ground as a NAFDAC report says foreign tomato pastes imported into Nigeria are bad.
Audu Ogbeh
Recommended articles
![Scene of the demolished market at Mabushi in Abuja on Wednesday.. [NAN]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Scene of the demolished market at Mabushi in Abuja on Wednesday.. [NAN]")
Ogbeh said a report by the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says foreign tomato pastes imported into Nigeria are not good.
He stated this during the oversight visit of the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, chaired by Rep Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno) to the ministry in Abuja on Monday, November 28.
He said: "The Chinese are the ones messing us up on tomato paste. Each time Dangote tries to produce, they lower their prices. There’s a report by NAFDAC on the quality of foreign tomato pastes. The report is very bad.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We think we have every reason in that report to ban foreign tomato pastes into the country. If you don’t ban it on health ground, you have to ban it on any other ground."
Members of the committee asked the minister to explain the measures government is taking to avert food crisis next year in view of the influx of foreigners buying Nigerian grains.
Responding, Ogbeh said: "It’s time to fill our silos.
"The export is huge now, but if you stop it, farmers will get very angry. When you go round, they tell you they get so rich now. But if you stop it and the prices fall, you discourage farmers. We’re in the market now buying and storing."
ADVERTISEMENT
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that Nigerians can now buy a bag of local rice for as low as N8,000 as against N22,000 obtainable with foreign rice.
The apex bank said it’s Anchor Borrowers Programme for the promotion of agriculture has set the country to begin exportation of rice by 2017.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
Gunmen kill Ogun gov's office accountant, escape with money he withdrew from bank
FCTA demolishes alleged vehicle papers forgery hub in Mabushi
Wike seeks NASS approval to spend ₦61.6bn
PDP asks National Assembly to reject Tinubu’s 2024 budget
Dino Melaye explains why he won't challenge Kogi election results at tribunal
Governor Oborevwori presents ₦714.4bn 2024 budget for Delta State
Court orders Betta Edu to disclose details of ₦535.8m school feeding expenditure during lockdown
Adeleke approves ₦15,000 wage award for civil servants, ₦10,000 for pensioners
Nigerian Navy hands over 187 bags of cannabis sativa to NDLEA
Pulse Sports
Thiago Silva recalls TB fright ahead of Chelsea debut
Brazil vs Argentina: Bloody scenes at the Maracana as Brazilian police and Argentine fans clash
Arda Turan: Ex-Atletico star in hot tears after losing $13 million to ‘yahoo yahoo‘
Global Soccer Award: Osimhen to battle Messi and Ronaldo
Lionel Messi and Scaloni's Argentina relationship set to end
ADVERTISEMENT
![FCT High Court admits Emefiele to ₦300 million bail [TheCable]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "FCT High Court admits Emefiele to ₦300 million bail [TheCable]")