Yobe irrigation farmers decry lack of storage facilities

Vegetable farmers in Yobe have decried poor storage facilities to preserve their produce after harvest, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

A survey conducted by NAN in Damaturu on Thursday revealed that most farmers lost their harvests to poor storage facilities.

Alhaji Adamu Mai Tumatur , a farmer, said “irrigation farmers lose more vegetables than what was usually sold out”.

‘‘Tomatoes were in the recent past available everywhere but it is now exhausted due to poor storage.”

Ali Usman, a grocery seller, said prices of fresh tomatoes and pepper have suddenly gone up because of the declining supply from the farms.

“Farmers have to cut into pieces the vegetables to dry them up as the only means of storage thereby reducing the value and sold at lesser prices to avoid total loss.”

Bunu Giedam, an onion farmer in Giedam, said “the harvest of onions is now at its peak and a bag is sold for just N3, 000 with many getting rotten due to lack of storage facilities.

‘‘Very soon the price will increase because it will run out of stock few months after harvest.”

The farmers appealed for partnership with the State Government and the Federal Government to provide storage facilities to encourage farmers to boost production.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam has urged NAFDAC to curb the use of dangerous chemicals in preserving onions.

Gaidam made the call when Ms Yetunde Ini, Acting Director-General, NAFDAC, paid him a courtesy call in Damaturu on Tuesday.


He described as worrisome the use of dangerous chemicals to preserve food, drinks and other consumables.

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