Katsina onion farmers enjoy bumper harvest

Onions attracts buyers as one of the most important vegetable crops in Nigeria that is used in the preparation of curry and spicy dishes and also has immense benefit due to its diectary and medicinal values, one of the farmers, Alhaji Isyaku Malami, has said.   He said at times of glut, especially in August and […]

Onions attracts buyers as one of the most important vegetable crops in Nigeria that is used in the preparation of curry and spicy dishes and also has immense benefit due to its diectary and medicinal values, one of the farmers, Alhaji Isyaku Malami, has said.   
He said at times of glut, especially in August and September, some farmers sold a bag for as low as N2,500 to N4000 depending on its quality; but this October the price has started rising selling for between N5,000 to N8,000.
Another farmer in Gozaki, Kafur Local Government, Malam Ali Maude, expressed the need for onion farmers in the state to form an association through which they will benefit from government’s assistance particularly in getting fertiliser and pesticides.
“The output of this year’s onion farming will show you that Katsina State has the potential of feeding this country with onions but this can be achieved only when the farmers take it seriously by forming associations with which we can solicit the support of government,” Malam Ali said.
He identified Danja, Bakori, Kafur and Funtua markets as their onions selling points from where the commodity is transported to Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Lagos and Warri among many other places.
Farmers were seen at Danja and Bakori markets selling their onions while trailers and other trucks were being loaded to transport the produce to the southern part of the country.