The Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, has approved the hosting of the 1st International Potato Value chain and other Root Crops Conference and Exhibition scheduled to hold from September 14 to 16, 2021 in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
The exposition is being organised by ABG Paulas in partnership with the Plateau State Government and Grimme, Germany.
The Minister gave his full backing in a letter written to the Managing Director of ABG Paulas, organisers of the conference and expo, dated 30th April 2021.
According to the letter signed on behalf of the Minister by Engineer AG Abubakar, “The Ministry is delighted to convey the approval of the Honourable Minister for the International Potato Value Chain and Root crops summit scheduled to hold from September 14th to 16th 2021 at Jos Plateau State.
“The event is scheduled to open up investment opportunities, create jobs for stakeholders and facilitate increased production as well as food and nutrition security” In a statement released to the media by ABG Paulas and signed by its Executive Director, Strategy, Communication and Media, Charles Ozoemena, participants and exhibitors of the Expo are drawn from the local and international stakeholders in the agricultural sector, both the public and the private, from local and international organisations.
The aim of the exposition is to mobilise the private sector to invest in the Nigerian potato and root crops value chain including that of the seed value chain covering production, preservation, processing, promotion and packaging.
Similarly, participants are expected to define a pragmatic and achievable road map for the full development of the multi billion dollars value chain, which is yet untapped by the private sector. Potato is the third most consumed food crop globally coming after rice and wheat. Over a billion people worldwide, consume potato, according to International Potato Centre, Peru.
Nigeria is the 4th largest producer of potato in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the 7th largest producer in Africa.
This is in spite of the fact that Nigerian farmers use subsistence tools to cultivate the root crops.
Some of the local and international organisations that have endorsed this International Expo include: German Agribusiness Alliance, African Union (AU), Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, (ARCN), Daily Trust Newspapers, Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation, (NIDO), Germany, office of the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, and the Plateau State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PLACCIMA).
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