Why China Stopped Importing Moringa From Nigeria…What We Want From FG, Kwara Govt-Farmer Organizations

Four farmer organizations including an agricultural cooperative, the Moringa Development Association of Nigeria , on Monday highlighted the benefits of planting the moringa tree which, they noted, has multiple nutritional benefits.

Presiding over the press conference held at the Circular Hotel, Ilorin on Monday, Professor Samuel A. Ibiyemi , who spoke on behalf of  the Moringa Development Association, , the Ranch and Livestock Cooperative Society , the Cultural and Society Value Development Initiative and the Good Will Move,  also called moringa a ‘life tree’.

Responding to questions from journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com  , Professor Ibiyemi listed the advantages of Moringa cultivation to include boosting of the immune system while disclosing reasons why China stopped importation of moringa from Nigeria and why the dreams of exporting cassava from Nigeria to other countries during the Obasanjo administration ended a mirage.

‘During  the COVID-19 pandemic, our product beverage was made available to the Faculty of Pharmacology  at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, and they tested it and found it to be an immune booster.

It was recommended to NAFDAC, and NAFDAC has embraced our beverage.

We encouraged our farmers then. We wanted to go into processing for local consumption and for export.

The major problem is processing at the standard organization level and we have the equipment to dry the leaves, and  powder it.

We negotiated with RAJRAB, a pharmaceutical company that  was ready to package it  either  as powder for beverage or powder to go into food or as a capsule or tablets.

And we were working with UNICEF to make our products part of school feeding materials.

You know that  by the time every pupil in the school is given one tablet or one capsule per day, you can imagine the market  that will be available for our products.

And I know of one or two pharmacies in the U.S. who are ready to market our products.

But then, we must use their own equipment. That is why we talk about technology transfer.

Once they know  that it has been prepared by their own equipment, the standard is guaranteed.

Recall that  of  cassava during Obasanjo administration, he assured the nation that we shall be realizing several billions of naira from cassava cultivation but when the first batch was sent out, they examined it there and discovered  that the microbial count is too heavy, even for the animals.

So ,that was why they returned the first batch back to Nigeria. Because our cassava pellets were  being dried in the open which made them get exposed to particles.

So,  we are very conscious of the standard of our  products.

If you go to Kenya, they use the moringa leaves to sustain their ranch.

The second Moringa National Conference that I said we hosted in 2012 , 3  delegates came from South Africa to attend the event. They wanted to negotiate with us. Because moringa in the tropic is superior to moringa in the temperate.

But, we need government backing.

And that was why when we wrote a letter to the Federal Ministry of Environment. They said moringa in Nigeria has no data, so, it is very difficult to promote. They were ready to make money available to maintain 20 hectares of moringa plantation  in Bafia farm in Ekiti for them to collect data. Then, we shall go into processing. If you go to Ogbondoroko. You will see a factory there processing moringa leaves. We have our own standard for processing our leaves. But then the fruit.

China has now developed its own moringa plantation. And they use the oil to run their heavy-duty equipment and their trucks and  tractors. They have multiplied their own plantations. So ,that is why they are not buying from us. And they now use the oil whereas the oil of moringa is like olive oil. very nutritional. It is not supposed to be for industrial purpose’ he said.

The farmer organizations also noted that apart from having a ‘rich’ oil , the moringa cake has also been used for water treatment in Kaduna state.

‘Moringa oil competes with olive oil. As nutritive. And even in cooking ,fish oil.

Cod liver oil. Moringa oil competes with the one from fish and  other seeds. So, we have market.

And then the cake, after you have extracted the oil, the cake has been developed by IAR in Samaru and they now use it in Kaduna state to treat water for township supply. They no more use alum or fluorine for water treatment in Kaduna state.

I sold this idea when Governor  Bukola was here. I was told by the water corporation. That that will not work because he has already committed the contract for supply of these. water treatment chemicals for ten years.

 So, I could not convince him otherwise. So, this is why I have suspended that. So the. The  cake will be used as animal protein in food supplement. Instead of groundnut cake and soya cake for our  animals. Animals fed on these will grow better than cake from soya beans and groundnut oil. So ,by the time the government gives us the financial encouragement, we shall encourage our youth and our graduates to do their research R&D on our products for processing and marketing’  he added.

The Moringa Development Association, , the Ranch and Livestock Cooperative Society , the Cultural and Society Value Development Initiative and the Good Will Move, commended the Kwara state government for making farm equipment available to over 100  young farmers who have registered as members of  the Good Will Move.

While urging more support for their organizations, , they have also once again, requested that  10-hectare of land should be made available  to their young farmers  in each of the local governments in the state adding that they (the young farmers) will set to work immediately.

 ‘We plead for the release of the  fund that we have been requesting since 2022 to prepare 10-hectare farm for each youth /ward in each of the 16 local governments in the state next month . Through these pioneer farmers, foods and cash crops, Kwara state will become a true food basket and an industrial hub of Nigeria’ they added.

The farmer organizations also noted that they look forward to having President Bola Tinubu release 20 out of the 1,000 tractors expected to be made available to Kwara state to them in order to help their organizations achieve their goals, mission and vision statements-Team@orientactualmags.com . Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you