Where melon farmers take over the road

Doma, in Nasarawa State, is one of the major producers of melon. Many farmers plant it because it is said to be very expensive and therefore has the potential to make farmers rich faster than other crops.According to them, the only crop which has taken over in recent years is sesame, popularly called‘beneseed’, which was […]

Doma, in Nasarawa State, is one of the major producers of melon. Many farmers plant it because it is said to be very expensive and therefore has the potential to make farmers rich faster than other crops.
According to them, the only crop which has taken over in recent years is sesame, popularly called‘beneseed’, which was sold at a record high of over N40,000 per 70kg bag early this year.
Melon sales reached the height of N25,000 per 100kg in some local markets in the state in the first quarter of the year.
However, as melon is harvested in July, farmers in the area have taken over some roads in the town as they spread their produce to dry, thereby forcing both motorists and pedestrians onto only a narrow stretch in the middle of the road for movement.
“The only good space for us to dry our product is the road. We can’t get this kind of space in the farm. We don’t have any alternative way of drying the melon after washing it than this. But we look at roads that are less busy for drying the product,” a woman told Daily Trust.
Presently, however, there is melon glut in the markets. Farmers who have financial constraints are selling at as low as N11, 000 per 100kg bag. Some forecast that the price may likely go down because, according to them, the production was high this year compared to what farmers got last year in the state.