Horticulture: Ugu cultivation, farmers cry against flood effect

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.