34
AGRIC
BUSINESS
BUSINESSDAY: www,businessdayonline.com
Wednesday 24 October 2012
" World Food Day celebration revea ls advancement in N" "an foods
Insecurity, flood force beans out of citizens' menu Stories by OLUYlNK,\ ALAWODE he InsKu rlly In the Nonhern pari of Nigeria coupled with the recenl nooding has finally forced cowpea commonly known u beans • out of the menu of many Nigerillns. Unlll a few years ago, benns, 0 very rich source of proleln, grown massively In the NordlemslDtes, was very cheal' and so afforda~le by manylow· ina>meNlgt"da.ns. about 70 percenl of whom live on 51 (NISO) a day. according 10 a UN report. BUI belwun lasl year and now, the price of thls staple has increased by about 100 percent. A. commonly used measuremenl thai contains four and half milk tins was sold for Nl20 thh: time la,t year, but It is curnntly sold for N250 to NJOO In lagos. Lasl Oclobet according to EsoJeo Nigeria Commodity Index, drum beans (Olom) of lookg was sold for Nil,
T
900 In BodlJa Market. Oyo State, another measurement by reTailers called congo was sold forNISS, a ldJogramme was sold al avcrage ofN155. By the beginning of October this year, the same lOOkg Is sold for NZS,OOO, congo Is nowaboul N380 a.,.-l average
price of II knogl.mme Is aboul N:l16.671n Ihl~ same BodlJa M3ml .. , In Oanwanu l..lllkel, Kano Siall, who!eule
.. .as price doubles withm a year lookg bag of drum beans was N13,300 lasl October, retail measuremenl called tier was N330 and average price per kllogramme was N 136.06. This year in Danwanua Madel. beans of 100kg Is aboul Nl8,OOO, der Is N450 and average price per kilogramme is Nl84.43. In Igbudu Markel, Delta SllIle. October last year 100kg of beans was NI9, 000, paint bucket was N7oo, price per kg was N I7S. 1hls year. IOOkg 15 about NJO,OOO, paint bucket Is NlOOO and average kg prlc.e is N270.27. In Nasacawa State, lasl year, a bag of lOOkS was NI2,SOO, a measuremenl called mudu was N250, price per kg was N211.86, while this ye~ IOOkg is N55,OOO, mudu Is N550 and average kgN491 .07
Until a few years ago, beans, a very rich source of protein, grown massively in Lhe Northern states, was very cheap and so affordable by many low" income Nigerian s
In Mile 12 Market. Lagos
Suue, a bag of 100kg wall N14.5(lO. painl bucRI N500
and average price per Itg NI38..89 last October, while
thiJ year. 100kg Is N36,OOO, paInl bucket is Nl ,IOO and a~rlIge q prlce Is N305..56. A.I the Relief Market In Anambra Siale, lasl yt!ar a bag of 100kg o f beans was N18,OOO, paint bucket was N630 and average price per kg was NI65.79, while this year.IOOkglsN-tO,OOO. pain! bucket Nl,SOO and average price per kg N394.74.
The breakdown of Ihls 5Urvey c:anied Oul by Esoko reveals a price Increase of 100 pacenl or 1tlOfl! In many of these mart.eu bel:ween 1M!: year and now. A marketer is AgboJu Market, Lagos. says because supply is lower than if used 10 be. the beans get sold off, bulshe hu notk:nI thai low- Income earners hardJybuy. Aa:onlingto he!; those who buy appear 10 be those who are well all Edobong Akpablo, • crop farmer/chid executive. Vlslonage Agrolech Farm. laY' thai nonnlllly dle price of beam rises al this period close 10 harvesl season and sioeb are low In slore. nollng Ills however very unJonunale Ihat this year, the floods have washed away the crops. which are due for harvesl This mean!! thai the high priceofbe"nswouJd be for alon81lme 10 come.
,ere appeau 10 be Improvemenl In foods being grown, processed and packaged In Nigeria. Judging by Ihe remarbble diffeence In foods showcased Tuesday. 0cI0ber 16, 2012. at this yrar's World Food Day celebn";on
T
"'"AderoJu "...,...,,..,,. Oduusl ,
manUhlCIUrer of Sorello Drinks, a wholly Nigerian. made soft drink. was ~ III the Improvemenl in N'lgftias foods al the celebrallon. She said: ·There Is a 101 of 1m~1 in wbaI Nigeria has been prodoctng. We DC;IW haw: youths who are engaged in rice production. proces!iing. pdDgillf:lloomadzfingunrb !he Rke For Jobs I"rogTamttle. ·They lire commercial farmers produdng both the longpn andOfadarioe. ~ though Ihcyrann~ear:h alUK!Il1 hils hisown br.md.lhey IlfI!
real commen:::lal fanners.
TIle rice hu been cieaned 10 meet Intcmallonal sandanls.
lhere are also various produm produced in Nigeria and well pac:bgtd such as coconut ull!, hetbs and evm peppers." Odunsl CKpressed delight with a retail giant who al.5o exblbiled. saying. ·a15O very remarhble Is the fact Ihal Shopnte exhIblled groceries with names of !he 'anos Ihey weft! boughL Thee groceries may not be as hiI and 1usd0u5 as the Imported ones they u.5ed to have hm we are very glad to buy them and woery pleased with Sboprile.. ~ are also the local food producen who have DOt Impn:lll!!d In anyway, but the fact Ihlll Ihey lire ed!ibitinK .hows they have no! given up production: Odun,1 said: ·Under Ihe Commerclll Agriculture DeveIopmeru Pmject(CADP) II 1i!ih~ldInofwrrernationaJ
staudard ill sold ror N2S0,OOO, and Ktile Iiumer or processor is registered In Lagos. he (Xliy has 10 pay 40 pem:nt. 1hb. quhe
""""""'"
Dosunmu Idris of Dum,n
Enlerprlses. lkomdu, one o( the exhibllDts, said there wt're now !Ie·featJw:ring madUnesln large quantities In Nigeria. ·50 the fanners IIT1l !!ClIO take OYer !he frozen chickens busines!l,· which had been dominated by imponed ones smugled though Seme border in ~ BayoAyoade. aCOlI111ll'ftial processor and marketer 01 Of ada rice, said with the .wstance al CADP.l...ago5. !he IPP between rice rannen and cormuner, service providers .s weU as big relailen was beinI bridged. He said: \he World Food Oay celebr.ation has been an~Althis prognmune I was privileged to meet the ~ diredlK of Shoprite, an opportunily IItoM= been iooldnK forward to (or aboul "","'0 yean now. It is just • meetingbut I upca h~ open the tine of negotiations.: Members of the Lagos Pig Farmers Assodatlon of Nigeria were also on hand to display !hevarlousdi!lhes that could be made from pig meal