The Cowpea and Beans Farmers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria has strongly denied allegations that its members use cement to preserve beans, describing the viral claim as misleading and harmful to the industry.
A video circulating on social media recently showed young men allegedly mixing beans with a substance that appeared to be cement, sparking outrage among consumers.
But the National President of C&BFPMAN, Kabir Shuaibu, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday that the association’s members would never engage in such “unscrupulous practices.”
“We are not aware of the use of cement for the preservation of beans. As an association, we engage in international best practices in the preservation of beans and other allied products. Our member-farmers do not engage in unscrupulous practices in the preservation of our beans or cowpea produce,” he said.
Shuaibu explained that the association had phased out additives in storage and now relies on airtight packaging to keep beans safe and insect-free.
“What we do now is to purchase thick nylon bags from the sack companies to package our produce. The nylons are fixed inside the sacks, and beans are poured directly into the nylon bags before sealing the sacks. With the nylon bags as the first package, the produce becomes airtight and will not allow weevils or any insect to penetrate,” he said.
The C&BFPMAN president further explained that in some cases, farmers use dried pepper or a health-friendly preservative called “Topstoxin” to protect beans from weevils.
“The bag of beans is divided into quarters with the additives applied in them. This additive poses no danger to human health or damage to the produce,” he said.
He stressed that any attempt to use cement would be “commercial suicide” since consumers would easily detect it.
“It is common sense that the use of cement for bean preservation will be easily detected, and the consumers will not patronise us. So, we will never engage in such harmful practices,” Shuaibu added.
The association maintained that its priority was to preserve consumer trust while ensuring beans remain safe for local and international markets.
