The federal government has frowned at the use of sniper to preserve beans and chemicals for food preservation and fruit ripening.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, in an interview with journalists in Otukpo, Benue State, on Sunday, warned that the act was detrimental to human health and the environment.
“Sniper is very dangerous; people also use carbide to ripen bananas and some other fruits; people do all kinds of things.
“Suddenly, people are developing different diseases, something is wrong,’’ he said, in reaction to the reported use of 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate, otherwise marketed and known as sniper, to preserve beans by retailers.
He appealed to foodstuff and fruit sellers and others Nigerians to adopt natural means of preservation.
