Trading at Onitsha vegetable market
By Sunny A. David, Onitsha
Onitsha is not generally regarded as a commercial city for nothing. Apart from fabrics, building materials, and such big time businesses, producers of agricultural produce like vegetables also take their goods to Onitsha market, in search of big buyers.
No wonder, this Marine Vegetable Market is located by the bank of the River Niger.
Our correspondent, who visited the Marine vegetable market, reports that it is essentially an all-women’s affair.
According to our correspondent, the vegetable market boasts of vegetables of different grades and species. Women from various riverine communities of Anam and beyond were’ seen with their farm produce in canoes which they paddle to Ose Market, a journey they say lasts for more than two hour.
It was also observed that buyers at the upland waited eagerly for the arrival of the canoe loaded with the vegetables.
Some of the vegetable farmers including Mrs. Grace Okafor and Onyekachi Ikechukwu said they were by the numerical strength of the buyers but regretted low pricing of the commodity which they attributed to the harsh economic situation in the country.
One of the buyers from Obosi, Mrs. Rose Mba said she prefers riverine vegetables as they are always fresh.
For the Riverine communities of Anam, there appears no dull moment as they now cultivate during both dry and rainy seasons.
They remain grateful to the Anambra State government for facilitating an all year round farming.
