I await a radical Nigerian pineapple production policy in 2020

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) We will seek to increase production from the current 1.6m tonnes to 3m tonnes by 2024

(2) Each of our major nine producing states must have a processing and canning factory. These include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Edo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Ondo

(3) Nigeria is currently the world’s number six producer but we have more arable land suited to pineapple production than Costa Rica, the number one origin, so our goal should be to become undisputed global market leader by 2025

(4) We will launch a pineapple helicopter and jet service made up of three aircraft that will fly to Europe on a daily basis, delivering fresh produce to supermarkets within 24 hours on them being harvested

(5) All Europe’s major retail outlets like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Coop, etc will fund the construction a refrigerated warehouse in each of our nine producing states

(6) These retail chains will also provide 100 refrigerated trucks that will run between the farms and the warehouses

(7) Nigeria will have a target of generating $5bn from pineapple product exports by 2025

(8) By 2025, the processing plants, warehouses and farms will aim to employ 1m Nigerians

(9) One equipment manufacturing plant will be opened in Uyo to make machinery like tractors, trucks, refrigerated lorries, etc

(10) Nigeria will open a global pineapple exchange in Uyo to determine global prices