Not less than N3 billion is lost annually in Nigeria by onion sellers due to poor processing.
The president of National Onion Producers Processors Marketers Association of Nigeria, Isah Aliyu Maitasamu, said the country is losing about N3billion worth of onion a year, equivalent to about 40 percent of the total production in the country due to lack of effective processing facilities.
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He stated this during the commissioning of the first of its kind onion and garlic processing factory in the country established in Sokoto over the weekend.
According to him, “Nigeria despite being one of the leading producers of onion and garlic in the world still imports onion flakes into the country due to the lack of processing factories which he said was at the detriment of farmers.
“Over two million metric tonnes of onion are produced annually in Nigeria with Sokoto State producing 40 per cent of the product.
“Based on the annual estimate, the onion produced in Nigeria amounted to more than N700 billion but about 40 to 50 per cent of the product worth over N300 billion is wasted to post harvest losses.
“This is due to lack of adequate and effective storage and processing facilities at the farmers disposal.”
“I however commend the efforts of the brain behind the factory which farmers especially in Sokoto State and its immediate environment will benefit immensely from it.”
Earlier, the director-general of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, represented by Engineer Emmanuel Kwaya, said the commissioning of the factory marks an important milestone for the manufacturing industry in Nigeria.
“As we commission the first wholly indigenous onion and garlic flakes processing plant. I am particularly delighted that this plant was designed and fabricated by Nigerian engineers following the call by the Council to reduce the perennial post-harvest wastages associated with onion and garlic.
“We hope that this project will spin up other plants as we continue to develop the process technology, especially in Sokoto State and its environs where onion and garlic are largely produced.
“I commend the partners and investors who have made this project a reality. They have shown confidence in the Nigerian can-do spirit and have taken concrete steps to help see our R&D results in Onion and Garlic processing reach their full potential. I urge other investors to follow their example.
“The RMRDC established the phosphate beneficiation plant which has led to the establishment of more than ten other smaller processing plants; the groundnut oil milling plant and the ongoing mini-cement plant with the capacity to produce 300 metric tons of cement per day, as well as the common facility centre being established for leather and leather products,” he said.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the district head of Sokoto-North, Alhaji Malami Maccido, appreciated the investors and promised that the Sultanate Council would continue to support farmers in the state.