Why onions are expensive in many Nigerian states?

It has been reported that the price of onion has been on the rise beyond what was obtainable years back. Recent findings by Daily Trust on Sunday also revealed that the commodity has been scarce due to high demand from exporters and other users, coupled with the commodity’s unavailability in the market. Market surveys had revealed that a bag of onion is selling at N120,000. However, it was gathered that the price is dropping due to fresh supply from Gada in Niger Republic and other places. According to Alhaji Danladi Umar, an onion farmer in Kano State, one of the reasons behind the scarcity of the commodity is low production during the wet season, coupled with poor storage methodologies. He explained that during the wet season, only Kano and Kaduna states grew the commodity, and as such, the supply couldn’t meet demand. “Only Kano and Jigawa states produce onions during wet season, and even at that, the issue of poor storage methods didn’t help matters. That is why, at a moment ...