It infects crops from flowering until maturity. Maize and groundnut are particularly susceptible. One cannot see, smell or taste aflatoxin, yet both people and animals are very sensitive to it.
While acute exposure to aflatoxins can kill, prolonged exposure leads to impeded growth, liver disease, immune suppression and cancer, with women, children and the poor most vulnerable.
Few years ago, makers of animal feeds and other household consumables complained that the Nigerian maize and other oil seeds like groundnut were highly infected with aflatoxins, which forced many poultry farmers and feed millers to clamour for importation.
On Tuesday, stakeholders met at a workshop organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Harvestfield Industries Limited to discuss the results of aflatoxin levels test in maize sampled nationwide under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (CBN-ABP) 2020 wet season project.