Ugu scientifically known as
Teifairia occidentails is a money spinning business many people especially the
youths cannot imagine until they take the bull by the horns as our finding on
this healthy edible vegetable that it
can give about forty to fifty thousand
naira daily on an acre of farmland according
to a farmer who passionately pleaded for
government intervention in the area of flood impact on her produce.
This vegetable popularly consumed only in the Eastern
part of Nigeria in the years past is now generally eaten by all parts of the
country even in the North based on its health advantages to the body in terms
of ability to fight radicals and a good source of vitamins C, K and lot of
other minerals like magnesium, potassium
and iron.
Apart from the leaves
edible of this vegetables, the seeds of it also has money potentials in terms
of special oil. The seeds are used to replant after
they must have been well dried just as the few that know the health benefits do
cook and eat them at a premium price over leaves itself.
Finding reveal that Ugu vegetables happen to be one of the horticultural crops that can be easily engaged as it is always in high demand all year round. For example an acre size of Ugu farm is capable of turning into above five hundred thousand naira per month as it will take less than N60, 000 to cultivate an acre farm of Ugu. This is because all round the season the demand is high, which makes it a fast going business one can easily start family backyard as farm.
However the Federal Government is doing her best to
encourage the commercial production of the horticulture through more
cultivations as plan is already going on towards daily exporting of fresh
vegetables worth $10 million every year according to a Deputy Direction in the
Horticulture department of the FMARD, Mr. Kalu who said that two tones of this
Ugu vegetable seeds are already given to select farmers in Abia state.
Mr. Kalu further pointed that the FG sees the sub-sector as
a means through which employment can be created to the teaming youth and is
also capable of creating a mass pool of wealth for the exiting Ugu farmers
saying Ugu is getting consideration as a crop along the value chain of the
Agricultural Transformation Agenda Programme (ATA) of government.
According to him, the
horticulture value chain is giving serious attention to the Ugu value chain as
well as promoting its sales in the international market, as it is in high
demand within and outside Nigeria, especially when it comes to health
importance as it is advisable to eat the vegetable in large quantity regularly.
Further finding from other stakeholders revealed that the
crop is underrated despite its health and economic potentials as they argued the
ugu seeds alone can give raw materials products for sausage, biscuit, cake and
ice-cream, just as they pointed that the
business required more attention from the government in area of more sensitization and awareness in order to reduce
poverty.
Mrs Cecilia Udubisi popularly Known as Mama Dutsy in the
Kubwa- District of Gado Nasko land of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
confirmed the economic potential of this vegetable saying presently the
negative impact of rain flood is giving them challenges as many have been washed away by flood erosion thereby pleading for government assistance.
Mrs Udubisi spoke in pidgin language that Ugu’ demand cannot
be met as people daily come for it adding that she make about N40,000
–N50,000.00 everyday people come very early in the morning to buy to eat and
further sell them in the market adding that the impact of erosion is already
denying her the expected sale.
According to her “ Ugu vegetable dey sell well because
people plenty dey come every morning to buy them. Every day, I dey sell about
forty to fifty thousand naira, but now erosion don kill all my vegetables. Come
am see sir. If I talk for mouth, you no go understand, see how erosion don wash
away my Ugu. I no know how I go get the money wey I use plant am as I don apply
fertilizer. I want government to assist us. The seed is very good for money
too, but we do use to plant when we don properly dried am”
Mrs Okoye Grace, an Ugu seller, said the business is
wonderful as it has been the source of her family sustenance over the years
saying it required just little amount to start off with an assurance of turning it to big
investment transferable to the next generation.
a young entrepreneur,
Mr. Seun Ajayi who has been into the
poultry farming in kuje, said he had to diversify into Ugu business after
hearing so much and running research on its benefit. He said the business is
capable of creating job opportunity for the youths and can be passed from one
generation to the other. He further stressed the need for storage facility by
government for the preservation of its nutrients being a perishable produce.
Mr. Ajayi urged the
Federal Government to look into investing more in the business and create more awareness that will bring in more
youths as employment generation saying that “ Ugu business is the easiest
business any Nigerian can easily do. You need less fund, land and
seeds to be a multimillionaire”
Although effort is on going towards putting these farmers
into an economic cooperative group as some of them are members of Missionary
Farmers’ Cooperative Society whose network cut across many states of the
Federation according to its founder and FCT Coordinator, Pastor Akin Davids
Tinuala who believes that the platform would be used to ameliorate the plight
of farmers through economic and other inputs support.
its actually nice hearing this but how does the government plan to help us go into this by providing capital for us
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