In Nigeria, farm insecurity is posing a significant challenge to the expansion of onion production, currently estimated at 2 million tonnes annually, and is adversely affecting the country's exports of the commodity. The global onion market has seen price increases due to various factors, including export bans by major producers like India and Egypt, leading European importers to turn to China amidst these restrictions and their own reduced outputs.
Victor Iyama, President of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN), highlighted the detrimental effects of insecurity on both the domestic supply of onions and their international exports. Despite Nigeria ranking as the seventh-largest onion producer globally, it remains absent from the global onion export map. The country has seen a significant reduction in the volume of onions exported to West African nations, attributed to banditry.
Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, the National President of the National Onion Producers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), pointed out the stark contrast in onion production volumes between Nigeria and Ghana, with Nigeria producing significantly more. However, Isah noted the government's neglect of the sector as a key reason for Nigeria's minimal presence in the global onion export market, unlike Ghana, where onion production plays a crucial role in generating national revenue.
Source: thenationonlineng.net