02/11/2022
Stalls such as the one pictured below dot the landscape as one journeys along the streets of Makurdi. Ripe fruits call out to passersby and as the day progresses, their cries become all the more louder. It's not a cry for the fainthearted, it is a desperate cry for rescue; one that says "...buy me or I perish..."
That's why it's not uncommon for a bunch of bananas that sell for 500 naira ($1) during the day, to go for as low as 350 naira (less than a dollar) at night. Fruit sellers device various means of storing fruit in a bid to extend their 'lifespan', such as hanging bananas by their stems to slow down ripening due to the effect of ethylene dioxide gas that emanates from the riping fruit; an old and antiquated method passed down across the generations. The increased exposure to air allows for greater dispersal of the gas, still it is insufficient to keep ripened fruit fresh beyond a couple of days.
The question of fruit storage and spoilage is a question of lack in the midst of abundance, than of anything else. For as low as 20 to 30 cents, one can get a bucket of oranges in Benue state; one which the sellers would be glad to take off their hands.
According to Mrs. Veronica (real name withheld) "If we don't sell the fruits at night at giveaway prices we incur losses that we cannot recoup. So rather than allow them spoil and earn nothing, we'd rather sell them cheaper. We have bills to pay too you know" she says with a forlorn expression on her face.
Further compounding the challenge of storage and preservation is the issue of abundance, as fruit sellers are confronted by the reality of selling a commodity which is in abundance within this clime, which reduces the profitability of sales. The dearth of infrastructure to convey excess harvest to places where they'd be of greater need and the absence of proper storage systems compels traders to sell them within the state. In Benue, individuals literally feed off fruits and farm produce that grow within their orchards and gradens. The land is exceedingly fertile, so selling fruit in Makurdi and Benue state by extension, is akin to selling sand in the Sahara.
Furthermore, the reality of the state being a largely agrarian one, comprised of individuals who are mostly unemployed, reduces the range of possibilities of what people can do. Thus, they must in the end explore opportunities from a limited range of options, which explains why a lot of folks opt for selling their farm produce directly to individuals.
Ironically, in this instance, the problem is also the solution. Whereas the provision of refrigerators might afford the sellers better storage options, creation of functioning agro processing factories such as juice and bottling companies can directly translate into wealth creation, affording individuals the opportunity of profitably exploiting the overabundance of fruits and other agricultural produce, thereby permanently turning around the fortunes of the state.
We at Doctors Charity believe that given the right incentive, Benue state and Nigeria have the resources and capacity to thrive. It is that reality we struggle to birth as we put one step ahead of the other, in a bid to steer the nation towards the path of growth and sustainable development, and empower individuals to live life to its full potential.
