The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has explained that the agency does not regulate fresh produce such as oranges sold directly in markets.
The NAFDAC DG made this known while speaking in a recent interview explaining the agency’s role in regulating fake products.
According to Adeyeye, the primary mandate for regulating fresh agricultural produce lies with the Ministry of Agriculture, while NAFDAC is responsible for processed and semi-processed foods.
She said, “First of all, we are ignorant in this country, very ignorant. We don’t read, we don’t understand. There are many organisations, many agencies that are involved.
“NAFDAC’s mandate is for processed or semi-processed foods. The oranges you buy in the market, we don’t control the oranges you buy in the market. However, if somebody puts pesticide on that orange, we have to train the farmer.
“It is the Ministry of Agriculture that has the primary mandate for fresh produce. However, because we approve, regulate and control pesticides, we have the obligation to train them on how to use them based on the direction on the label.”
Adeyeye noted that some farmers may misuse pesticides by applying more than the recommended quantity, stressing that the practice could pose health risks.
She attributed the problem partly to low literacy levels, saying some people assume that using more of a pesticide would produce better results.
The NAFDAC DG added that the agency’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate also visits farmers and stakeholders to educate them on the proper application of pesticides and the required waiting period before harvesting.
She, however, said NAFDAC cannot reach every farmer across the country because of the large number of farmers involved.
“We cannot go to one million farmers in Nigeria. I don’t know how many millions we have. NAFDAC cannot do that. It is the Ministry of Agriculture that should be doing that.
“It is because we control the pesticides that we also should help in teaching them,” she said.
Adeyeye further clarified that NAFDAC regulates products such as yam-derived foods and other processed food products.
“Yam is NAFDAC, fufu you eat is NAFDAC,” she added.
‘We are very ignorant’ – NAFDAC DG fires back at Nigerians over fake products