The major cash crops include cocoa, oil palm, cotton, groundnuts, ginger and sesame

To sell a product, you need a market for it. Where is the demand? Is it stable? Is it profitable in short and long term? Are there trade barriers? In export, your market is a country or countries with a demand for your product. So, how does an exporter go about finding this market?

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Exportation is very profitable: While importers lament bitterly due to the embarrassing forex quagmire, exporters are the ones who smile – no, laugh – to the bank. More people are realizing this and the business is booming.

One of the benefit of Exportation is Economic diversification: No nation can grow effectively without export. Export is a trade between countries. It is one of the ways countries grow wealth and one of the cheapest means of FOREX.

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According to statistics, the most popular non-oil products, which are exported from Nigeria are cocoa, cassava, rubber, wool, cotton, palm oil, wood logs (Iroko or Mahogany) groundnut oil, cashew, garlic, and other products. Nigeria mainly exports goods to Europe and Asia.

It is better for Nigeria to Export than Import. If you import more than you export, more money is leaving the country than is coming in through export sales. On the other hand, the more a country exports, the more domestic economic activity is occurring. More exports means more production, jobs and revenue.

The commodity trading market is a vast industry that has existed throughout history, as nations have always had a constant need to exchange goods and services in order to keep their economies growing. Commodities like oil & gas products, solid minerals & metals, and agricultural products are the basic commodities that drive the market. They’re traded all around the world with businesses in two countries acting as the key catalyst for the trades, while their governments provide the infrastructure needed to make it happen.

Join us in our Export training program to learn the commodity trading market and how best to go about it.

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Legal Issues
When you export it is important to be aware of legal requirements of exports in Nigeria. This is to serve as a guide when planning for export as well as enhance smooth export transactions.

Five tips for exporters
It is wise to engage an experienced trade lawyer or expert in complex situations
Understand the market access conditions for your products
Protect your intellectual property (IP) rights, if you have one
Avoid trading on sanctioned / prohibited products
Check out information on frauds, scams and corrupt practices regularly

Export contract
An export contract is the agreement between an international buyer and seller.The exporter should be aware and attentive to details of the export contract documents agreed by both parties. International contracts can be complex. It is advised that you ask for advice on the legal implications by a professional.

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One of the first questions to ask when starting your agricultural export business is: what should I export? The short answer is, it depends on your interest as the exporter, available startup capital, and availability of the items.

To give you an idea, some of the agro-produce to export include, but not limited, to the following:
Cashew nuts, Ginger, Cocoa (seeds and processed) etc.

Wishes of a great weekend and greater new week ahead.

One important thing to know before you ship any Agro Commodities is that the Chemical Compositions Must Match The Agreed Specifications:
When an agreement for the supply of agricultural produce is effected by an importer and an exporter, a set of quality specifications are usually agreed upon, and depending on what the importer plans to use the goods for, some chemical specifications would be agreed on.

If you’re shipping agricultural products based on an agreed set of chemical compositions, it is important that you ensure the goods you’re shipping matches the specifications, else, you should simply just agree to physical inspection.

Join us to learn all the important things you need to do before shipping any Agro commodity out of the country.

In the export business, it doesn’t matter if you are a newcomer testing international waters for the first time or an established exporter looking to grow your business abroad.

Your main challenge is always to find buyers for the goods or services you provide. Selling in an unknown country is never easy. There are physical distances, cultural differences and language barriers to consider, among other things.

Luckily, we live in a time where technological advances have shrunk our world and brought us closer. This means it’s easier to find foreign buyers for your export business today than it was, say, 20 years ago.

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International buyer directories

You want to send out your product samples to get feedback from buyers. But how can you then find your buyers? Fortunately there are plenty of international buyer directories available (some free of charge, others with paid subscriptions).

Quality assurance is at the peak of the international trade business because international buyers want to know that the product they’re paying for is exactly or better than what they’re getting. Not worse.
Since many international buyers cannot visit the loading port at the country of origin to verify the quality of goods before it is shipped, they need a strong assurance that guarantees them the quality of the goods that they have paid for before it arrives their port of delivery at their destination country.
Also, exporters sourcing goods need a form of assurance when purchasing the goods they want to export to ensure that the quality of the goods they’re buying will be exactly the same as agreed with the international buyer when an inspection is done at the port of loading.
To guarantee the quality of goods, international buyers and most exporters employ the services of inspection companies, but mostly world-class inspection companies that are known for their quality of service, age in the industry, and consistency in delivering on guaranteeing the quality of goods loaded before it arrives the destination country.
If you want to know which companies you can use to test and guarantee the quality of goods been shipped from a sourcing point to a loading port and eventually to a destination country.

Commodity traders are expected to have a great understanding of how to successfully source and deliver the commodities they’re seeking trade finance for.
In some cases, commodity traders are expected to have 30% of the total commodity trade finance they need to execute the purchase and supply of the commodity.

A feasibility study examines the practicability of a proposal, business venture or idea. The principal function of this is to determine if the project will continue or not. Another important purpose is that it helps planners focus on the project and narrow down the possibilities.

Nigeria is a country naturally blessed and endowed with item of huge demand in the export markets around the world. We are not only blessed with solid minerals (besides crude oil) we are also blessed with good climate and weather conditions to support the growth of commodities that are industrially useful in the developed nations. Majority of our agro products are exportable and are easily available to source. We can support you to start your agro export venture today.

Nigeria is amongst the top African countries in sea freight and cargo handling. Apapa port is the largest in West Africa. Tin Can port was among the top 5 largest ports of West Africa in 2017 as well, based on total cargo volume. Total cargo throughput at Nigerian ports reached over 70,000 kilotons in 2017, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Also other ports like Onne, Rivers, Calabar and Delta handle significant cargo volumes on an annual basis. The availability of several ports combined with government’s commitment to having dedicated terminals for agricultural products makes exports seamless. All major shipping companies are present at our ports.

CASHEW NUT

Quality/Standard:

Out-turn/Yield (KOR): 43 to 48 lbs per 80kg (good)

48 to 55 lbs per 80kg (excellent)

Nut count (number or raw cashew nuts per kg):

170 – Excellent
180-190 – Very Good
190-200 – Good
200-210 – Middle

Moisture: – 8% max

Foreign matter: – 2% max

Defective: – 5% max

The Export business is about the importation and exportation of goods and services from the shores of every country around the world.

An exporter usually gets a purchase order from an importer. And after all the co-requirements are met by both parties, a deal is signed—where the importer would usually sign a year-long contract with the exporter, which is then adjusted to 5 years after a first successful one-year delivery.

Dear prospective Exporters and value chain players in Nigeria, let's highlight the opportunities, guides and challenges in Agricultural Export business. What are the processes, documentations and opportunities it presents and how can technology improve agro Export business? How can you trade internationally and earn foreign exchange without hiccups? How can you tap from the CBN and FG intervention and empowerment programs to support the non oil export sector? What are other incentives available international to enable free export trade? How can you meet or exceed commodity quality standards for our agro products? Insightful knowledge and right information is key to success in Agro Export trade.

Payment methods

There are different payment methods possible between you and your buyers. The main options are:
Documentary credit (e.g. Letter of Credit)
Open account (e.g. advanced payment, cash against document, deferred payment)
Documentary collections
It is advised to always check and discuss your options for payment with a financial adviser. This ensures you to have the right agreements on payment in your eventual export contract.

Trade performance

Italy and Spain are the largest destinations of Nigerian leather in total, covering over 71% of total Nigerian exports. This mainly consists of goat leather, while sheep and lamb leather reached larger export values in Asian countries.

One important thing to know before you ship any Agro Commodities is that the Chemical Compositions Must Match The Agreed Specifications:
When an agreement for the supply of agricultural produce is effected by an importer and an exporter, a set of quality specifications are usually agreed upon, and depending on what the importer plans to use the goods for, some chemical specifications would be agreed on.

If you’re shipping agricultural products based on an agreed set of chemical compositions, it is important that you ensure the goods you’re shipping matches the specifications, else, you should simply just agree to physical inspection.

Join us to learn all the important things you need to do before shipping any Agro commodity out of the country.

A good export plan consists of certain key elements. NEPC developed a guideline on export plan development for exporters. This includes the following key topics:

Company profile (about us)
Key features of target market(s)
Competitors’ analysis
Market entry strategy
Unique selling points
Promotional strategy
Branding (if relevant)
Logistical planning
Action plan
Resources required

Shipping timelines are always given by the shipping line when a booking is first made, but the reality is even if you managed to get the container loaded and moved into the port the same day, which is highly unlikely, there’s no guarantee that your cargo will still sail with the scheduled vessel.

There are reputable trade sites serving as links between exporters and importers by carrying out trade matching services.

The platform allows you to search for buyers from 210 countries
Provides you with a facility to search for all buy requirements
Contact the buyers through your inquiry manager
Search by product and service
Dedicated team of professionals who constantly monitor all new buy requirements on the site
Paid subscription site.

The commodity trading market is a vast industry that has existed throughout history, as nations have always had a constant need to exchange goods and services in order to keep their economies growing. Commodities like oil & gas products, solid minerals & metals, and agricultural products are the basic commodities that drive the market. They’re traded all around the world with businesses in two countries acting as the key catalyst for the trades, while their governments provide the infrastructure needed to make it happen.

Join us in our Export training program to learn the commodity trading market and how best to go about it.