Even with Adama beverages factory, we still have glut – Fruit farmers

The call was mainly made by the fruits farmers in Okpella, Ehor and Okada in Edo State.Mr. Osaro Edokpolor, a pineapple and orange farmer in Ehor, Uhumwodhe Local Government Area of Edo State said fruit farmers in the area have been experiencing glut, leading to several fruits wasting away, even when those fruits can be […]

The call was mainly made by the fruits farmers in Okpella, Ehor and Okada in Edo State.
Mr. Osaro Edokpolor, a pineapple and orange farmer in Ehor, Uhumwodhe Local Government Area of Edo State said fruit farmers in the area have been experiencing glut, leading to several fruits wasting away, even when those fruits can be processed to generate income for government and the farmers.
“I have been into the farming of pineapple and oranges since I lost my job in 1992. Since I started farming 23 years ago, I met that there was glut of fruit in this area. When Chief Lucky Igbinedion was governor he attempted to establish a fruit processing industry here in Ehor. Though the company was established and equipped, it could not be registered by NAFDAC and so it could not function.
“Our hope was dashed. When we heard that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar rehabilitated, expanded and commissioned the Adama Beverages Factory in Yola, Adamawa State, we said yes, another relief has come. Adama beverages may come and be buying our excess fruits. It was later we heard that the factory could not even buy all the fruits produced in the North. That means the era of glut will continue.”
Asked why the glut in fruits persists in the area despite the fact that a lot of people consume fruits, Edokpolor said: “Pineapple can be harvested for 30 years. When you plant it today, it lasts as long as 30years, even beyond, if properly maintained. When it is the season, you just go and harvest
“We have variety of oranges here. I was in Zaria about ten years ago with a friend, Malam Adamu. Some of the oranges I saw there, we do not allow them to grow here. They do not have water and are not sweet. We use to cut and throw them away. “There is need for government and the rich in Nigeria to establish a lot of fruits processing factories to process these fruits.”.
At Okpella, Salifu Sadiku, who is into the production of pear, banana, plantain, oranges and mango, complained of lack of bulk buyers of fruits. He said most buyers of their fruits are travelers who stop-by and buy the quantity they can consume at home.
“It is only during the Muslim fasting period that we sell a lot of fruits to some northerners that come and buy fruits in bulk. The sales to individual buyers are also higher during the fasting period. Even at that, we still encounter glut.”
Osagie Onoma is a pineapple farmer whose farm is located at the outskirt of Ekpoma, along Benin Road, in Esan South Local Government Area. He said pineapple, being a seasonal fruit, requires a lot of attention because it is difficult to maintain.
“For your pineapple to be good you must weed the farm. Nobody wants to weed a pineapple farm due to the thick rough skin that causes injury to the body. Pineapple farm is very difficult to maintain, a lot of labourers are not willing to weed in the farm because they easily sustain injuries caused by the thick rough leave.
“The peak period for the harvest of pineapple is usually four months, ranging from May to August. Aside applying fertilisers, farmers harvest plenty, provided the farm is properly maintained and well cultivated. It is not advisable to use chemicals. That is why we prefer to select the weeds and remove them from the fruits.”
At Okada, a pineapple farmer, Otumudia Iyaro, said the case of Okada is even more pathetic compared with Ehor, Ekpoma and Okpella, adding: “All those places you are mentioning are along the road to the northern part of the country where the prices of fruits appreciates. After Okada here, you enter Ondo State which is another major fruits producing state.
“Worst still, there are no storage facilities for fruits here and you see farmers with plenty of pineapples in the market at the same time. We find it very difficult to buy improved pineapple seeds here. Some farmers go to as far as Lagos and northern part of the country to sell their goods. The fruit factory they commissioned in Adamawa State has not come to buy anything from us.”
Adama Beverages Factory Limited, owned by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, incorporated on January 2, 2004, currently produces flavours in the juice segment that include apple, coconut, pineapple, mango, orange.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the rehabilitated and expanded factory situated at Kofare Industrial Estate in Yola, the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, commended Abubakar for his foresight in investing in the state, making him the greatest employer of workers next to the state government.
Earlier, chairman, board of directors of the company, Akin Kekere-Ekun, revealed that the security situation in the region has adversely affected their business as they could not be able to distribute their products to most of their sales outlets in the North-east region due to insurgency.
He said the factory expansion gulped N3 billion with machinery costing N1.9 billion.  He said that the civil work consumed N750 million, adding that the expanded company will provide job opportunities to about 700 more people.