Nigeria’s market is experiencing an onion crisis, which the Federal Government claims is the result of unfair farming methods.
Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, reportedly made this statement following a meeting with the Nigerian National Onion Producers, Processors, and Marketers Association (NOPPMAN) on Monday.
According to him, the meeting was spontaneous but essential to discuss the concerning reports of a 40% possible shortage in onion production this season, which is mostly the result of farmers receiving tainted seeds.
Investigations, according to Kyari, revealed that a NOPPMAN member was in charge of delivering inferior seeds to marketplaces.
“I applaud the association’s proactive effort to addressing this matter by identifying the offender and turning him over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for responsibility and inquiry.
We talked about and decided on both short-term and long-term ways to lessen the effects of this problem, such as providing impacted farmers with high-quality seeds and fertilizer right away, he said.
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The government intends to build state-of-the-art onion storage facilities in order to lower post-harvest loss, the Agriculture Minister clarified.
He clarified that would help ensure enough supply and alleviate the product’s exorbitant price.
We are also moving quickly to build state-of-the-art storage facilities in order to lower post-harvest losses and guarantee a steady supply for the market. To increase onion preservation, creative approaches were also investigated, such as better cold storage methods and the packaging of rice straws.
Because of the shortage of onions’ direct effects on the market, we are giving warehouses top priority in order to store available crops and guarantee effective delivery. “In the upcoming months, these actions will help stabilize supply and prices,” he said.
