The Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria has explained reasons for the upsurge in the price of onions and scarcity of the produce in the country.

The National President of the Association, Mr Aliyu Isah, gave the reasons in an interview on Sunday in Lagos.

Report says that Nigeria witnessed a soaring rise in the price of onions from the fourth quarter of 2024 with a bag selling between N250,000 and N270,000 as against N70,000 and  N90,000 per bag in previous months.

While a medium-sized bulb of the produce sells at N500 as against N50 per bulb.

Isah told newsmen that the reasons for the hike in onion price were multifaceted, leading to low production of the produce.

“What caused the scarcity and high cost of onions from the last quarter of 2024 till now is as a result of the flooding.

“The flooding of 2024 that ravaged all our onion farms, from the producing bed of Sokoto, Kebbi,  Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, up to Adamawa states resulted in the scarcity of the produce.

“We also had the problem affecting onion production with the release of water from dams from the northern states.

In  Sokoto, the water was released from Goroyo Dam, when it got to a certain level it affected the onion beds from Sokoto, Kebbi and  up to Zamfara states.

“Also, we had the breakage of dams in Borno State which destroyed our onion farmlands,” Aliyu said.

He also blamed climate change effects resulting in extended rainfall and disease outbreak on onion farms as another reason for the price surge.

“The second issue affecting scarcity and the high cost of onions is that we experienced an extended and high level of rainfall up north in 2024.

“So, the high amount of rainfall resulted in high humidity which resulted in disease outbreak popularly called Downy Mildew, which destroyed most of our onion farms at various stages of cultivation.

“Some onions farms were affected at seedling stage, some at nursery stage, some when we were even about to harvest the onion,” the association president said.

He added that the unavailability of the produce due to lack of improved onion seedlings contributed to the development.

“The third is the issue of unavailability of the produce due to lack of improved onion seedlings.
The factors of  flooding and climate change has  affected and disrupted our local seed production system.

“We do have not sufficient and quality onion seedlings, so we now rely on hybrid seed that we import from foreign countries.

“The issue of flooding really affected onion seed production so local farmers  could not get enough seed to buy. This situation also resulted in the  unavailability of onions. From the fourth quarter of 2024, and our farmers with their money, they could not see seed to buy.

“This also culminated to a serious problem where some unpatriotic Nigeria imported adulterated onion seed into the country and now our farmers are counting their losses because they planted a seed that cannot produce a bulb,” he said.

Aliyu lamented that lack of storage facilities and technology of the produce at harvests contributed to the surge in its price.

“Another contributory factor to scarcity and price surge of onions is post-harvest losses.

“That even when we harvest enough during the season because we lack improved technology of onion storage, we are being faced with more than 50 per cent post-harvest losses.

“This is to say that more than half of what we produce, we lose it after harvest. So, all these are part of the problem that is making the onions to be expensive,” Aliyu said.

Aliyu said the association was working with the Federal Government on ways to boost production and tackle the surge in the price of onions.(NAN)

The Police Command in Kaduna State on Saturday dismissed a viral post alleging the arrest of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) who purportedly went to give firearms to bandits and kidnappers.

The police, in a statement issued by the Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, described the video as fake and intended to mislead the public.

Hassan said: “The attention of the Command has been drawn to a false and malicious viral post on social media alleging that the “ DCP’s  went to give firearms to bandits and kidnappers, unfortunately he was arrested with them.

“The Command categorically states that this news is fake and intended to mislead the public.

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“The image used in the viral post is not of any officer in Kaduna State but rather an old photograph of a fake Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Kingsley Udoyen, who was arrested in Akwa Ibom State in January 2019.

“We urge members of the public to verify this information by searching google with the headline “Fake Assistant Commissioner of Police arrested,” he said.

Hassan said it was not the first time the command had debunked the fake news, saying that “the command has identified the suspects responsible for spreading it.”

“They will be arrested and brought to justice.

He said the State Commissioner of Police warned the public to desist from sharing unverified news, as such acts not only spread panic but also undermine the integrity of the Police Force.

“Any attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Police will not be tolerated, “Hassan said. (NAN)

The Borno government has announced plans to subsidise fuel at N600 per litre to 5,000 farmers in communities hit by Boko Haram insurgents in the state.

Gov. Babagana Zulum announced this  during the flag-off of distribution of farm inputs to prospective farmers resettled by his  administration in Bama and environs on Friday night.

Report says that Bama was among the areas overrun by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014 but was liberated by the Nigerian military in March 2015.

The governor was on a two-day tour of the local government Area to facilitate the resettlement of people displaced from Bama and environs due to insurgency.

Zulum had earlier visited Abbaram town, a village located in the Eastern part of Kur Mohammed military barracks where his administration plans to construct 1,000 shelters for the returnees.

He also visited Darajamal to assess the destruction caused by Boko Haram insurgents there.

Speaking after the visitation  the governor said that one of the major challenges facing irrigation farmers in the area was the rising cost of petrol.

“As a result, I want to announce to the general public that the state government will procure petroleum products and sell to the farmers at a subsidised rate.

“Currently petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at N1,200 per litre but inshaa Allah (God willing), henceforth for irrigation farmers this season a litre of petrol will be sold at N600.

“The Commissioner for Agriculture will work with the Brigade Commander to ensure the delivery of the petroleum products to farmers in Bama town as soon as possible,” Zulum said.

According to him, the planned fuel subsidy was designed to cushion the effects of high cost of farming activities.

He said there was the need to support the vulnerable in an effort to fully reintegrate them into the society without any form of discrimination.

The governor also gave 2,000 bags of NPK fertiliser, 1,000 units of water pumps, and 620 units of gasoline pumps to the farmers for free.

The governor also distributed 380 units of solar water pumps, 1,000 units of sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hose, and 1,000 litres of pesticide and seedlings to the farmers.

He said that the incentives would propel Agricultural productivity and prepare the farmers to be employers of labour in the near future.

Earlier, the Shehu of Bama, Dr Umar Elkanemi, thanked the governor for the love and care he has been showing to the people of Bama in particular and the Borno people in general.

He assured the governor that his laudable investments in Bama and the surrounding communities would not be in vain.

Zulum was accompanied by the Senator representing Borno Central, Sen. Kaka Lawan, and members of the House of Representatives from the area. (NAN)