Nigeria Spends N165 Billion Annually To Import Fruit Juice

In a paper presented at a workshop organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) in Owerri on Friday, the President of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr Frank Jacobs said that Nigeria spends N165 billion annually to import fruit juice. He also noted that in spite of the high rate of fruit production and a thriving juice market, the country imported fruits concentrates.

Jacobs, represented by Nwabueze Anyanwu, detected that Nigerian farmers also lost 60 per cent of their produce as a result of lack of processing facilities. He also listed other factors to include limited demand and logistics challenges such as handling and transporting the fruits to the urban centres.

“Importation of concentrates has adversely affected local fruits cultivation for juice processing,” the MAN president said.

Jacobs said that the challenge of poor concentrates in the country could be overcome with improved high-yield seedlings, technology and technical services and better education and enlightenment for farmers.

He noted that the recent drive by the Federal Government to diversify the economy, encourage resource-based industrialisation and backward integration should provide the needed incentive to attract investors.

The industrialist said that research and development be made an integral part of the country’s backward integration policy while various research institutions should be strengthened through funding and manpower development.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Imo state Polytechnic, Umuagwo.