The Federal Government yesterday raised alarm over fake imported honey from China as most of them were produced with sugar syrup which poses danger to human health.
This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, while receiving delegation of Nigeria Apiculture Platform (NAP).
“We abandoned agriculture in this country for a very long time and today things are very tough. We became importers and not producers, and so we import everything including honey.
“There is no harm in importing but if it consumes 80 per cent of what you earn – the import bill of honey from China is about $100 million a year. Some of that honey is not real honey. Many are made up of sugar syrup.
“It is time to take the business of agriculture seriously. Let us eat what we produce and what produce what we eat. I do not see why Tanzania, Botswana, Rwanda, Kenya and others in East Africa make so much money from honey exports, and we can’t. I am happy that you are now taking up the challenge. You honey farmers are the heroes for keeping bees,” he said.
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