NOPPMAN declares state of emergency on onion industry in Nigeria

The National Onion Producers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has declared a state of emergency in the onion industry across the country. The association has called on all relevant stakeholders, including government at all levels, financial institutions, and others, to come together and find solutions to the challenges facing the sector. Speaking at a press briefing in his office, the President of NOPPMAN, Alhaji Isa Aliyu, highlighted some of the key challenges his members are facing, such as rising costs of onion seedlings, post-harvest losses, inflation, and the impact of climate change and extended rainfall patterns. Aliyu, who is also the President of the Regional Observatory of Onion Sector in West and Central Africa, stated that the current economic situation and rising inflation have had a ripple effect on the entire sector. “The cost of farm inputs—fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and labor—has skyrocketed, making it increasingly difficult for ...