Annual fish import now 2.2 million tonnes

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe said Nigeria currently imports 2.2 million tonnes of fish while it produces 1.1 million tonnes against the total demand of 3.6 million tonnes annually.
 
Umakhihe who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the Independent Dialogue on the Transformation and Future of Aquatic Food Systems in Nigeria, said 10 million Nigerians are actively engaged in primary and secondary fisheries operations, and the contribution of fisheries to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about 4.5 per cent.
 
While noting that the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari is to grow Nigeria’s agricultural sector to achieve a hunger-free nation through agriculture that drives income growth, accelerates food production to address the food and nutritional security, he said the Ministry has played a key role in addressing aquatic food systems which include “backward integration policy of Government to encourage fish importers to go into commercial  aquaculture…
 
More details through:
https://thenationonlineng.net/annual-fish-import-now-2-2-million-tonnes/
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