The Ogun State Government has urged cashew farmers in the State to process their cashew produce before exportation as it would increase the value of their exports.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lydia Fajounbo, who was represented by the Director of Commerce, Opaleye Ariyibi, made this charge at a two-day Export Workshop and Stakeholders’ Forum on cashew processing in Abeokuta.

Fajounbo said cashew farmers in the state would make more profit and reduce wastage by processing their produce before exportation

The Permanent Secretary said that cashew is a major agricultural produce in Ogun State and that farmers had been cheating themselves by exporting their cashew raw.

She urged the youths in the state to take advantage of the Anchors Borrowers Scheme and the wide range of opportunities that come with it.

She said that the government would not continue in promoting commercial agricultural commercialization and exportation and urged the National Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to carry out its mandate of promoting, encouraging and supporting stakeholders in diversifying the Nigerian economy.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Abosede Ogunleye, represented by Deputy Director, Department of Tree Crops and Rural Development Service, Olukayode Adebimpe, also added that cashew farmers in the need to explore cashew processing, as it would present a lot of options and would create more wealth for them.

The workshop, themed, “Increasing the Gains of Non-oil Exports”, was organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA