The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) has since Thursday blocked shipment of cattle and farm produce to the Southern part of the country over demands for compensation for its members affected by violence in that part of the country. The decision might have driven up prices of the items in the South but it has also brought prices crashing in Kano as farmers and marketers suffer huge loses, as Freelanews reports.
It is an irony that as tomato and onion scarcity prevails in the South, the vegetables are flooding markets in the North, selling at giveaway prices. That is not good news for farmers.
The scarcity in the South is occasioned by the strike by the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), which has blocked the shipment of cattle and farm produce to the South while demanding compensation and safety guarantees for their members affected by the #EndSARS protest and the violence at Shasa market in Ibadan.
AUFCDN, an affiliate of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), commenced the action following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the federal government to attend to their demands.
But with the strike entering its fifth day (on Tuesday), farmers and foodstuff marketers in Kano, especially those who deal with tomatoes have begun to feel the impact with prices further plummeting.
Findings revealed that many tomato farmers have abandoned their farms due to a shortage of outlets as well as their inability to continue spending their resources in harvesting the produce.
Freelanews is the editorial byline of Freelanews.com, used for staff reports, news updates, press releases, and collaborative stories produced by the Freelanews Editorial Team.
