…Urges stronger government oversight, warns against chemical residues in agricultural produce
A Nigerian pineapple producer, Mr. Segun Alabi, has called for stronger government oversight of agricultural production and food processing, warning that inadequate traceability and poor quality-control practices could expose consumers to harmful chemical residues in fruits and fruit-based products.
Alabi, who spoke to reporters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday, said Nigeria must strengthen food safety standards by ensuring that agricultural produce can be traced from farms through processing facilities to consumers.
The Chief Executive Officer of Davidorlah Nigeria Limited, which recently marked its 10th anniversary, stressed that food safety should not be left to consumers, who lack the capacity to subject every fruit purchased in the market to laboratory examination.
He urged Nigerians and industry stakeholders to take food safety seriously, declaring: “If you cannot trace it, don’t taste it.”
To demonstrate his commitment to quality assurance, Alabi disclosed that his company had recently conducted laboratory tests on its pineapple produce to determine possible chemical residue levels as part of efforts to secure certification as an organic pineapple production facility.
He said responsible use of agricultural inputs, adherence to proper farming practices and regular laboratory examinations were essential to ensuring that fruits reaching consumers were safe. He also urged manufacturers to verify the sources of agricultural raw materials used in their products.
Beyond food safety, Alabi identified Nigeria’s dependence on imported fruit concentrates as a major challenge facing the country’s beverage manufacturing industry, arguing that local processing of pineapples and other fruits could provide reliable raw materials and reduce import dependence.
He observed that despite Nigeria’s considerable agricultural potential, several fast-moving consumer goods companies still rely substantially on imported concentrates for fruit-based beverages, rather than sourcing processed agricultural inputs locally.
Alabi also urged consumers to pay attention to the composition of fruit beverages, explaining that products made with actual fruit concentrates differ from those formulated primarily with artificial or fruit-based flavours.
He maintained that expanding domestic concentrate production would strengthen the beverage industry’s raw-material supply chain, create additional markets for farmers and improve the quality of locally manufactured products.
He called for an integrated agricultural value chain that goes beyond fresh fruit production to encompass processing, laboratory testing, storage and industrial utilisation, noting that such investments would reduce post-harvest losses, increase farmers’ earnings and generate employment.
Reflecting on its 10-year journey, Davidorlah said its next phase of growth would focus on developing a pineapple processing value chain, including concentrate production, dried fruit, bromelain extraction and productive utilisation of processing waste.
The company also disclosed plans to establish outgrower partnerships to bring more farmers into its supply chain, providing technical support, reliable markets and opportunities to expand production. Its objective, it said, was to connect farms to factories and factories to markets.
“Behind every pineapple is a farmer. Behind every farmer is a family. What we do with that harvest can help determine that family’s future,” the company said in its anniversary statement.
It consequently called on government, financial institutions, development partners and prospective buyers to support local agricultural businesses through investments in processing facilities, farmer development and stronger domestic supply chains.
As part of its anniversary activities, Davidorlah announced plans for an Executive Tea and Business Roundtable in Lagos on December 17, followed by an anniversary gala on December 18. Alabi said the company’s success in its next decade would be measured by the number of farmers supported, jobs sustained, products manufactured locally and Nigerian agricultural goods reaching new markets.