‘Massive wines importation bane to local manufacturing’

A researcher, Bidemi Ojeleye, has attrib- uted the low impact of local wines in the market to unfettered importation of foreign brands.

Ojeleye is the director, Bee Research and Devel- opment Institute, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, on Monday, that un- regulated wine importation would continue to make lo- cal brewers irrelevant, saying there was need to pursue a well-defined policy of ban on importation of wine to boost local production.

He also said local distillers of wines were groaning under harsh business environment, and “the Federal Government needs a purposeful policy that will encourage farmers to grow crops that will facilitate wine production.

“Key infrastructure such as good roads linking farms to factories and adequate agro- processing plants will inject the necessary inducement for local wine production too.’’

The government could also facilitate partnership be- tween local wine producers and their foreign counterparts in the area of research and development, he said, noting that “such partnership will enrich our local wine brands and expose us to raw materials and equipment that are fal- lowing as a result of our lack of knowledge of their usefulness.’’