Data released from the International Trade Centre (ITC) indicated that Nigeria imported eggs, fish, milk, dairy and fish products with $3.49 billion in the last two years.
A statement issued by the ITC disclosed that fish products worth $2.14 billion were imported into the country, while dairy valued at $1.35 billion were brought into the country within the period under review.
It revealed that the items included frozen fish, meat, fresh chilled or frozen or dried, salted or smoked fish, flour meals, pellets of fish, crustacean, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or even smoked flour meals and pellets or molasses, were imported.
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“Dairy products, including milk and cream, butter milk and other fermented or acidified milk and cream, products comprising natural milk constituents whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening items, fats and oils derived from milk and dairy spreads,” were also imported.
“Others are cheese and cured birds, eggs in shells whether fresh, preserved or cooked, bird eggs without shell and egg yoke, fresh, dried, cooked by steaming or boiling in water molded frozen or otherwise preserved, natural honey, turtle eggs, bird nests and other edible products of animal origin,” the statement added.
This is in spite of stakeholders’ acknowledgement that the continued importation of fish and dairy products was depleting the nation’s foreign reserves and ability of local farmers to sell their products within the country.
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