Aliyu Maitasamu-Isah, president of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), has called for increased production of onions to plug the deficit of 1.1 million tonnes in local demand in the country.

“We are producing 1.4 metric tonnes, but what we need is 2.5 metric tonnes. Apart from that, we are still exporting. So, we need support and empowerment from the government because we need to step up our production to meet the demands,” said the NOPPMAN president.

Mr Maitasamu-Isah told journalists shortly after the inauguration of the North-Central executives of NOPPMAN, in Lafia, on Thursday.

He said that the 1.4 million metric tonnes of onions currently produced in the country annually were not enough to meet the demands of Nigerians, hence the call for increased production to meet the 2.5 metric
tonnes required for local consumption.

“The challenges we are facing is as a result of lack of good storage facilities, among other challenges. If the government can intervene to assist farmers to access inputs and facilities for production while also helping them to improve on their storage facilities, then we can be able to meet the demands,” Mr Maitasamu-Isah noted.

Mr Maitasamu-Isah explained that the association chose Nasarawa for the inauguration because of the efforts made by the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration in terms of security and the state being the second-largest producer of onions in the North-Central zone, after Plateau.

In another interview, Sidi Bage I, the Emir of Lafia, lauded the association for holding the event in the state and being willing to educate farmers on the right techniques in onion production.

He called on farmers to take advantage of the knowledge shared with them on onions production to increase their production.

“Nasarawa state was specifically chosen as a new destination for the production of onions because of security challenges bedevilling traditional places known for the production of onions such as the North West and North-East zones of the country,” said Mr Bage.

(NAN)