At this moment, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) is going head-to-head with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the latter's recent ban on the use of methyl bromide as a pest control fumigant for crops.
The Director General of the quarantine agency, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, also maintained that only NAQS had the sole mandate to "make a public pronouncement on the use of Methyl bromide for phytosanitary treatment of agro-produce in Nigeria."
He said that the use of Methyl bromide was allowed for controlled quarantine use due to lack of suitable alternatives, especially where specific request for its use is made: "For example, Mexico as a nation specifically requests the use of Methyl bromide in the treatment of Hibiscus shipments to their country - a trade that yielded over $35 million for Nigeria within nine months in 2017 alone."
He added: "Furthermore, under the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, the use of Methyl bromide for the treatment of solid wood packaging materials in international trade is allowed.”
Meanwhile, NAFDAC had made a public pronouncement phasing out agro-chemical Methly bromide. Director General prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had in a statement warned the public, farmers, exporters of agricultural produce and agro-input dealers to desist from using methyl bromide as a pesticide.
