(Ecofin Agency) - India has shown interest in importing $100 million worth of pigeon pea from Nigeria, according to the National Coordinating Director of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Vincent Isegbe.

Isegbe who disclosed this in Abuja said the Federal Government got the offer from the Asian country after conducting its Pest Crop Survey (PCS) for some agricultural commodities in cooperation with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“We do what we call PCS. We have done for pineapple, sugar, rice, cashew, palm oil and of recent we did for the pigeon pea. We wanted to know the pest peculiar to some commodities, what extent and in what location nationwide so we keep data on them. The government of India wanted a confirmation that we can export a pest-free pigeon pea to their country and even if we have pests, they will want to know which pest, to what extent and their location. They eventually sent it to the government of India and they that saw that it was okay for them to import. That is why they said we have a market worth $100 million and we can export,” he said.

The National Coordinating Director described the offer as a new opportunity to boost foreign exchange for the nation and create jobs.

Anita Fatunji