File photo of a yam market
By Sunny A. David, Onitsha
The month of July is significant to the people of the tropics, because it usually marks the peak of the rainy season.
But its significance lies more in the fact that harvest period for farm produce begins with it. July can be best described as time of plenty for both farmers and consumers, especially those from the food basket areas of the State, as different farm produce find their way in large quantities into the market.
Our correspondent visited the Marine river bank of Oseokwodu market, Onitsha, where some of these farm produce are off loaded and reports that it was a beehive of activities as canoes and pontoons loaded with various food items such as vegetables, bags of potatoe, garden eggs, fresh pepper, among others, were seen berthing at the bank of the river.
Some youths were also seen making brisk businesses, unloading the goods, as well as parking them in heaps.
Yam, the king of farm produce was among those food items that came into the market in their large numbers, with sellers and buyers bargaining for the commodity which were in heaps of hundreds.
Some of the farmers who spoke to our correspondent, including Mr. Ekwegbalu Ndife and Mrs. Akala Nneudekwe, said the produce started coming into the market early this week, noting that the harvest this year was not as bountiful as it used to be.
They attributed it to the effect of the scorching sun on the produce during the germination period.
The farmers regretted that most of them do not have sufficient fund during farming period and solicited for government assistance through soft loans, fertilizers, and other farm input to achieve food sufficiency in the State.
On their parts, some yam dealers, including Messrs Paul Okechukwu and Sunday Nzegwu, who confirmed the effect of the scorching sun on the yam, noted that flooding also took its toll on the produce which forced farmers at erosion prone areas to harvest their yam early, thereby leading to high price of the commodity while envisaging more increase in price in the near future.
Some of the Boat operators at the market including Messrs Chukwudi Ekwenze, Augustine Ojadi and John Nnaemezie lamented their ordeal from water hycint while bringing in these farm produce from various locations in Anambra West Council Area and solicited for government assistance.
A dealer who came from Ekwulobia, Mrs. Ifeoma Odinoo lamented the high price of the commodity to compared to last year’s price saying that a sizeable tuber is sold between three hundred naira to one thousand naira depending on the size.
