The only certified honey exporter in Nigeria, establishes honey factory in Nsukka

Aku JOFRAN Global Concept (AJGC) the company that represents Nigeria in all  international Honey Exhibitions and the only Honey Exporter in the country has set up honey processing factory in Nsukka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Chief Ifeanyichukwu Okpo, the Managing Director of AJGC, disclosed this in Nsukka, in an interview with our reporter while given reasons why he sited the honey processing factory in Nsukka.

Okpo said  that, his first honey factory is located in Abuja and why he decided to sit the second one in Nsukka is because of nearness of raw materials for the factory.

"My first factory is in Abuja but I always come to Nsukka to buy  honey and its by-products that I  processed in the factory before exporting to countries that need them.

"Because the demands for honey from my company locally and internationally are increasing on daily basis that is why I sited this second factory in Nsukka where getting raw materials will be faster and easier,"he said.

The MD said that, he didn't not only established a new honey factory in Nsukka with sophiscated machine but he had acquired 53 plots of land to start bee-keeping farm.

" I will continue to buy from open market and especially bee-keepers that my company trained on how to produce quality honey.

"But I starts harvesting from the  53 plots of bee farm I  will buy little or nothing from open market because I will have enough to process and package in  the two factories" he said.

Okpo also disclosed that his company AJGC remained the only certified  and licensed company in the country by Nigerian Export Promoting Council (NEPC) to export honey and its by-products.

" Not only that my company represents Nigeria since 2017 in all honey exhibitions globally, known as Apimondia.

"But my company also is the only one certified and licensed by NEPC in the country to export honey and its by-products, I renew this license yearly.

"Recently team  from  Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) United States  visited my factory, to see environment and machine used in the factory in processing  and packaging honey.

"US is one of the countries  that import  my honey and its by-products like beeswax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly and honeycomb.

Both honey and its by-products are all in high demand in international markets,"he said.

According to Okpo his company also supplied honey to many hotels especially five star hotels in the country

Okpo advised bee-keepers to avoid adulterating their honey by mixing it with any other thing.

Honey business is lucrative nationally and internationally, if you want to make big money from it, you must avoid adulteration

I use refractometer to detect adulterated honey, when I am buying honey I will use in my factory from open market,"he said

Okpo who is also the Chairman, Centre for Agriculture in University of Nigeria Nsukka, noted that his honey business had employed over 100 persons.

As well as trained many people on how to use bee-keeping business to earn a living.