Sokoto carrot farmers request for seeds, processing factory

Sokoto State is well-known as the major producers of carrot. It is cultivated in most of the local government areas of the state.

Carrot farmers in the state have stressed the need for a processing factory in the state for value addition and sufficient use of carrot for consumption and export.

The Secretary, Sokoto Carrot Farmers and Sellers Co-operative Union, Alhaji Malami Muhammad,  said that “We need a carrot processing factory so that we can sufficiently use carrot as ingredient for making soap, juice, pomade and medicine as it is being done in places like Ghana,”.

He added that “ Carrot is second only to cabbage in demand and supply,” in the state.

The carrot farmers/sellers scribe   said: “Carrot farming is a major employment creation sector with many youths involved in it. We have over 1,000 youths, who engage in various activities around carrot farming and trading from which they earn their living.

“Medical experts have even assisted to decongest our carrot markets by advising people to consume it to enhance their sight, so we have more and more patronage.” He said.

Muhammad, however, lamented that the seed they use, is not available in Nigeria but has to be imported from France.

“There is only one dealer from Zaria across Nigeria, who is importing the seed from France and has complete monopoly of the market thereby dictating the price,” he stated.

He said a 100g sachet of carrot seed which previously cost N600 now goes for N4,000 in the market.

“This is due to its scarcity and the Nigerian seed is substandard. The foreign seed is sweeter and consumed more,” he stated.

He called on the state government to provide loan to farmers or the co-operative to purchase enough seeds for sale to farmers at subsided rate.

On carrot cultivation, the farmer who noted that it is a dry season vegetable, explained that it grows after the rainy season.

 “It takes three months to grow to appreciable size and level and can be allowed to remain without harvesting for as long as 10 months,” he said.

The secretary mentioned that one of the challenges like some other vegetables at its early stage of growth is the problem of locusts which destroy its plants. He also said when there is large supply, farmers lose a lot from glut.

The secretary called on carrot farmers to continue farming the produce despite the dearth of seedling because of its health and economic values.