Nigeria to Increase Access for US Exports, Including Pork

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari stated his intent to remove barriers to United States agricultural products in a meeting with President Trump at the White House last week, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)  has reported.

Nigeria currently restricts imports of U.S. pork but NPPC has been working with the U.S. government to open access in Nigeria for U.S. pork and pork products.

Last summer, USMEF matched red meat exporters with buyers at the first U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) South Africa Seminar and Buyers Reception.

The event was funded by the USDA Market Access Programme, the Beef Checkoff Programme and the Pork Checkoff.

“Along with one-on-one business meetings and updates on current market conditions, USMEF staff provided technical advice and assistance to traders with an interest in putting more U.S. beef and pork in South Africa’s processing, retail and foodservice sectors,” USMEF said in a news release.

“Focus was also put on food safety and the quality and consistency of U.S. red meat products, as well as the availability of U.S. beef livers, kidneys and other beef variety meats.”

According to the release, a buyer from Nigeria attended that meeting.

“This was an opportunity to not only build and establish relationships, the event also provided valuable information for buyers in South Africa and helped reacquaint them with high-quality U.S. beef and pork,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF senior vice president of marketing.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) didn’t have current production numbers, but it reports pigs are more widely distributed in the southern part of the humid zone in Nigeria, and in the middle belt between the humid and subhumid zones.

Africa’s pork consumption is growing, but is not yet as high as the global average, reports PorkExpoAfrica.

“However, the growing demand for pork on the continent presents unique business opportunities. In fact, FAO estimates that the consumption of pork in Africa will grow by an average of 3.3 percent until 2050,” the organisation said.

South Africa per capita consumption of pork is estimated at about 10.58 lbs., but Nigeria’s per capita consumption of pork is 3.08 lbs., stated PorkExpoAfrica.

As incomes rise and the economy improves, Nigerian citizens will want to add more protein to their diets.

Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes estimates that Nigeria holds significant potential for U.S. pork exports, stated NPPC.