The Republic of Ireland has rejected and returned five containers of beans exported from Nigeria after the products were received with heaps of weeviles.
It remains unclear when the export was made, but exportation of beans from Nigeria is currently banned by the European Union.
Inspecting the rejected agricultural product at the PTML Terminal, Tin Can Port Lagos the minister of state for Agriculture, Lopobiri said that the containers were returned because heaps of weevils were detected in them by Republic of Ireland Quarantine Service.
He said, “Currently there is no more dollars oil and so, we need dollars from agriculture. We are in trade deficit with every other country in the world including Cameroun, and Benin Republic.
“So, we are trying to encourage as much export as possible so that we can substitute petrol-dollars to agro-dollars.
“No government agency has right apart from Quarantine to say that agro-products is banned for export or import, it is the legal and exclusive responsibility of Quarantine Service.”