Organic Farmers Market Launched In Jos

By; AMOS EBUTE MATHEW, Kaduna 

An organic vegetable/fruit market was yesterday launched in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Named Gidan Gona Hub (Jos Organic Farmers Market), the market is for purely organic agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, fish, etc that are grown naturally and free of artificial addictive, chemicals, preservatives, fertilizer, etc.

The project which is by  Oxfam is in collaboration with COCIN Community Development Panyam (CCDP) and Urban Food Crews in Jos North and Jos South LGA, and it is Supported by AGILE.

Speaking at the opening ceremony and launching of the market, the chairman of the Urban Food Crews Network Plateau State, Yusuf Pamancha, said the organic food products are healthy and good for the body.

According to him, the market is an innovative concept that has birthed in Jos (Little Rayfield) and with hubs at Kuru, Kwang and Yan Trailer, saying that it is necessary also for it to be extended to the local government areas.

The chairman also stated that the initiative is expected to change the narrative on the way and manner people produce their crops, the way and manner it is consumed, and the way and manner people in the production are appreciated.

On his part, the DEAN Faculty of Agriculture University of Jos, Prof. Patrick Kwaghe, said Nigeria is the main exporter agricultural products in West Africa, but that few years back, some countries in the Western world (Europe and America) put an embargo on some of the nation’s products.

According to him, the embargo was owing to the fact that when those agricultural produce were exported, they tested them and found out that there was excessive use of chemical in the production of the produce, and that made the country to lose share in the international market.

“So any initiative that uses organic method in agricultural production is a welcome idea. And once some of those countries that put a ban on Nigerian agricultural produce discovered that the country is not much using chemicals (whether herbicides, fertilizers, and what have you) in our agricultural produce again, they will then lift the ban, and doors will be opened for us again to export our produce. That will boost our foreign exchange,” he said.

The Ag. Just Economies Manager, Peggy Maimaji, Oxfam sees Urban Farming as a critical answer to build urban resilience in cities like Jos.

She pointed out that the Urban Food Hive Project (UFH) is transforming urban agriculture into sustainable livelihood by empowering farmers using agroecology and organic farming to implement circular economies using simple methods like recycling organic waste into compost. 

“Through UFH, we have already empowered 1,800 households, formed 4 Urban Farming Crews (UFCs), and helped farmers achieve an impressive average net profit of N411,400.00 by cultivating diverse crops.

“It is against this backdrop that today we officially open the Gidan Gona Hub, a bold step forward in transforming the agricultural landscape of Plateau State. 

“Today, as we officially open the Gidan Gona Hub, we are directly enabling a future where small holder farmers are no longer at the mercy of middlemen. This hub directly facilitates improve access to market for farmers to sell their produce; this ensures that they make maximum profit from their produce and they have direct connection to buyers,” she said.

In his remarks, the Plateau State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Samson Ishaku Bugama, said the state government has been creating enabling environment for agriculture, production, agribusiness, etc.

He explained that if people engage in farming it will ensure food security and sufficiency, and that if there is no food in the land it will cause hunger and chaos in the society.

In his welcome remarks, Oxfam Country Director, Daniel McCormick, commended the support of the partners and the government for making the initiative come to fruition.

He called on the farmers to always put in their best and to make their agricultural practice sustainable for their own good and that of the society.