Farmers in northern states in the country have started harvesting their crops with optimism that this year would be very productive for them.
For example, groundnut farmers, who are presently harvesting said, they planted in places with good soil moisture retention during early rainfall. A hundred kilogram bag was sold at N40,000 a few days ago, and farmers, who received supply requests have started to thrive in the market in Nasarawa State.
FarmingFarmersFarms reliably discovered that some farmers have, however, called for caution while harvesting the crop early because it is extremely difficult to dry groundnuts in the middle of the wet season, as they cannot maintain the crop in the event of price fall.
It is recorded that a number of farmers supply the market based on demand while others restrict harvest to meet their immediate needs so as to prevent glut issues and incurring financial loss. Currently, at harvest, the price per bag is N40,000, which is the highest in recent times.
Depending on the variety and quality, the old dried one per 100kg is between N45,000 to N65,000. The price ranges for the 100kg of shelled groundnuts, as applicable along the Lafia-Makurdi expressway, which is N100,000 to N130,000, based on the crop’s quality.
Pepper is one spice that many farmers seem to have overlooked in favour of other crops. Farmers in other parts of the north-central area, are focusing more on growing pepper, which would increase the amount of the spice available in markets throughout the region and raise their revenues.
A lot of supply is said to be coming in from Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna states to parts of Jos, Plateau State that is known for pepper sale, as many customers are seen coming into the market to make purchases.
Around June this year, a bag was sold for N160,000, but the harvested produce began to hit the markets and the price dropped to about N48,000 for the same quantity, while other hotter-tasting varieties are sold from between N50,000 to N55,000.
It was equally gathered that despite the drop in prices, farmers, dealers and consumers have expressed their excitement about the trend.
Many farmers, who see the inherent profit opportunity in the product, are making good money through its cultivation through rain-fed and irrigation options. In Benue State, the experience is similar because more farmers are engaging in the cultivation of pepper.
For yams, the prices have decreased, as new harvests have started entering the markets while the farmers are making more money. In Jos, Plateau State, prices have largely reduced for the new yam, as five tubers are now sold at between N5,000 and N8,000, depending on size even though, the same number of tubers for the old yams is sold above N20,000 while the smaller tubers have lower prices at between N2,000 and N3,500.
In Nasarawa State, more new yams are now available in the market, thus providing cheaper opportunities for consumers. A buyer can get up to four tubers, depending on the size with about N5,000 or N6,000. Meanwhile, an Oyo State-based agricultural economist, Yusuf Alade, has cautioned that the early increased harvesting of crops may not necessarily indicate that this trend would continue. He argued that several factors such as climate change, fuel price, and the role of middlemen may eventually affect crop productivity and marketing, but that with careful planning and timely support given to farmers, the quest for bumper harvest and food availability would be feasible.
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