How ‘ugwu’ alleviates poverty among women farmers

Pumpkin, popularly known as ‘ugwu’ in Nigeria, and widely consumed across the country is fast becoming a poverty alleviation vegetable, especially for women farmers and sellers of the produce. Nutritionists and health experts say the highly prized vegetable, which is cultivated all year round in various parts of the country, has a lot of nutritional […]

Pumpkin, popularly known as ‘ugwu’ in Nigeria, and widely consumed across the country is fast becoming a poverty alleviation vegetable, especially for women farmers and sellers of the produce.
Nutritionists and health experts say the highly prized vegetable, which is cultivated all year round in various parts of the country, has a lot of nutritional and health benefits and advised people to consume it regularly for healthy living.
‘Ugwu’ farmers and sellers who spoke to Daily Trust revealed that since they started farming the trailing or climbing vegetable, they have been lifted out of poverty by the regular and reasonable income earned from their farms.
One of the farmers from Nasarawa State, Mrs. Rebecca Daniel, said: “You know, when I started farming ‘ugwu’ people were laughing at me, but now they have kept quiet as the thing is favouring me and I thank God.”
Mrs. Daniel who said she has a little tailoring shop where she works after leaving the farm, disclosed that there is gain in farming ‘ugwu.’ She says that she uses proceeds from the business to buy clothes and pay her children’s school fees, among other things.
She said whether one owns land or not, one can start farming, by hiring an area of land. “I started small by hiring a plot of land at N4,000 for six months, prepared the beds with N2,500 and bought the seeds with N10,000 at N4,000 per 4ltrs.”
The woman farmer who said the seeds cost between N3,500 and N5,000 per 4ltrs during the dry season, noted that the price could jump up to about N7,000 in the rainy season. She advised farmers to go for the best seed always, adding: “As the plants are growing, I manually weed every week and water morning and evening to keep them alive and well. I also apply manure which I buy at N200 per bag, but others who can afford it use chemical fertilisers as well.”
The farmer, who pointed out that the crop does not grow well during rainy season due to excessive water, said it is an early maturing plant which farmers can start harvesting two months after planting.
“It can be harvested throughout the year,” she said, adding: “If the farmer owns the land it is better.”
Mrs Daniel told our reporter she cuts in bunches of N100, N200, and N500 and sells directly to buyers on the farm, adding that consumers’ demand can hardly be met.
Other farmers, Mama Ayuba and Mr Godwin Ini, agreed with their colleague, saying the business is lucrative as they can pay most of their bills from the proceeds.
“I sold one of my valuable properties to start the farm but I am not regretting,” Mr. Ini said.
One of the sellers, Mrs. Julie Moses, said when the sellers sort out the vegetable and tie it in N50 pieces, they can even make more money than the farmers who toil every day to produce the ‘ugwu’.