Export: NAQS issues 10 revised guidelines

To avoid rejection of agricultural commodities abroad, the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), has issued 10 guidelines for exporters. Dr Chigozie Nwodo, the Head of Media, Communication and Strategies Unit, NAQS disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. He said that Nigerian agro-commodities were rejected abroad because some of the exporters smuggled consignments not meant […]

To avoid rejection of agricultural commodities abroad, the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), has issued 10 guidelines for exporters.

Dr Chigozie Nwodo, the Head of Media, Communication and Strategies Unit, NAQS disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

He said that Nigerian agro-commodities were rejected abroad because some of the exporters smuggled consignments not meant for export.

Nwodo said that the agricultural items intended for export might be rejected if the prescribed guidelines were not follow.

NAQS spokesman stressed that the absence of sanitary and phytosanitary certificate which is normally issued after inspection and certification of the content of the cargo can cause rejection.

“Sanitary must be in accordance with the conditions on the import permit of the destination country. The exporter must submit the items for inspection and certification by NAQS and obtain the applicable certificate prior to shipment.

“The produce intended for export must be free of harmful organisms or toxic substances and all information required in the sanitary/ phytosanitary certificate must be provided legibly in print.

“Forgery and alteration of certificate will render the certificate invalid and make products subject to rejection.

“Any alteration in the date on the certificate, type of consignment, weight and volume of consignment, and un-authorised signature on the certificate renders it invalid. A certificate with mutilated particulars is, therefore, unacceptable,’’ he said..

He added that wrong labeling was another obstacle because the information on the label of the cargo must be descriptive of the exact contents of the cargo as they were in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary certificates.

“Concealment of strange agro-produce in a consignment of certified commodity, concealment of an uncertified agricultural item in the consignment of a certified produce earns total rejection.

“Improper export procedure, certain products require the exporter to give the NAQS advance notification of country to which export is intended.

“Exporting prohibited items are not accepted because some countries prohibit the export of certain agricultural items. Cargo of products on the prohibition list of the destination is liable to rejection at the port of entry,’’ Nwodo said.

Other guidelines are absence of additional declaration, some countries require declarations like date of harvest, place of harvest, whether there are any special handling precautions in addition to the sanitary/phytosanitary certificate.

“Use of unapproved fumigants, the detection of residues of unapproved fumigants in the produce intended for export may constitute basis for rejection of the cargo,’’ he said.