Onion farmers vow to exploit $240M export potential

The National President, Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Aliyu Maitasamu has said his members are set to exploit the option of export of their produce to nearer African countries to make double profit of $ 240 million against selling into local market.

Aliyu Maitasamu speaking in an exclusive interview with Food Farm News said that the cost of transportation and other logistics to get onions from the North to Southern Nigeria is now compelling his members to the option of exporting to neighbouring African countries where double economic gain will be made.

He said Nigeria has not harnessed her potential of being the second largest producer of onion with production capacity of 2.4 million metric tons per annum, saying high transportation cost with other impediment logistics like storage facilities have been negatively affecting the value chains productivity of the produce, saying this will lead farmers selling to other neighbouring countries at a double premium pice.

The National onion president said that " why the profit margin in the country is ranging from N5 to N10,000, then the profit margin from other outside countries close to Nigeria is N20,000. So you should expect a business person to go after a higher margin in view of our two million metric tons which happens to be the second largest onion producer in Africa. Currently what is available to us is about $240 million"

He identified storage facilities as a great challenge hindering the produce productivity from the North to south, adding that this has compelled the Association to take the option of exploiting double gain of $240 million from Ghana, Cote D' Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger and the rest others.