Northern farmers lament as onions rotten over refusal to ship to South

Farmers cultivating onions in the Northern part of Nigeria have been lamenting over the deterioration of their produce as suppliers refuse to ship to the southern part of the country.

According to reports, no less than 50 trucks had rotted away at their farms and markets.

Some days ago the Onion Producers and Marketers Association (OPMAN) announced that it would be discontinuing the supply of onions to the entire South from Monday, citing insecurity and the government’s failure to compensate its members who suffered losses in the past.

Aliyu Isa, the national president of the association, disclosed this when addressing journalists at a press briefing in Sokoto Sunday.

“If the government fails to adhere to the demands of the association, we are shutting down the supply of onions to the entire South by Monday, June 7, 2021,” Mr Isa was quoted by Daily Trust as saying.

According to him, about N4.5 billion worth of onions and properties were destroyed by suspected hoodlums across Southern states in the last few months in addition to the loss of lives of members of the association without any compensation.