The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has empowered producers of agro-allied products in the country with the requisite skills and tools required to enable them to compete favorably in the international market.

This is in line with the federal government’s plan to diversify the country’s economy away from hydrocarbon resources.

The Director-General/Chief Executive, SON, Faruok Salim disclosed, at a workshop entitled: “Standard Adherence: Catalyst for Trade” which was held in Osogbo, that Nigeria’s agro-allied products are sellable across the world.

Salim who was represented by the Director Southwest, SON, Talatu Ethan, added that the body would not compromise its standards in its effort to make sure locally made goods are competitive on the global scene.

He stated that the organization, in a bid to support the economic diversification agenda of the present administration, will continue to intensify efforts to sensitize producers of agro-allied products across the country on strict compliance with SON’s standards sellable across the world.

He noted that the organization is at the forefront of driving diversification into agricultural products as a means of generating revenue.

“Nigeria’s products are having global acceptance, the Federal Government and regulatory bodies are working with stakeholders to ensure that whatever they produce can meet up with the specifications of the foreign countries”, said.

He stressed: “The objective of this workshop is to create awareness on the importance of standards to ensure that the manufacturers, producers and processors meet up with the minimum requirements of the standards, we have standards for Garri, honey, dry and smoked fish etc. and looking at the focus of the current administration which is food security, the role of SON is to train, educate and create awareness among the agro-allied sector on quality production.”

He pointed out that the objective of the workshop is to create awareness on the importance of standards to ensure that the manufacturers, producers and processors meet up with the minimum requirements of the standards.

“We have standards for Garri, honey, dry and smoked fish e.t.c and looking at the focus of the current administration which is food security, the role of SON is to train, educate and create awareness among the agro-allied sector on quality production,” he averred.

In his words: “Mandatory conformity assessment, will prepare our local producer to produce products that meet up with the minimum requirement of the standards so that the products would be able to compete with foreign products, our duty is to encourage and support them for production of quality and safe products.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Osun state chapter, Sulaiman Araokanmi, described the workshop as timely in a bid to empower agro-allied producers across the country.

According to him, the programme has further widened their understanding on the entailment of agro-allied production and exposed every producer to reason why their jobs should not be handled with levity.

He stressed that the workshop has equally opened their eyes to discover unknown things that will serve as guidance to them to succeed in their various engagements.