As part of Jigawa State’s agricultural market development and value chain mapping efforts, a series of collaborative meetings are in process involving Kaduna,Lagos and the latest being with the FCT Minister and his Secretaries today.

The aim is to develop a farm to consumer market model that will guarantee fresh, qualitative and affordable wholesale vegetables and other food staples in the first instance, and subsequently meat and fish as the infrastructure is developed.

Jigawa State through a joint venture between the Jigawa Investment & Property Development Company led by its Chairman Ambassador Abdulkadir Musa and private investors will collaborate with the FCT through the Abuja Investments Company to develop farmers markets in every district and set up a supply and logistics chain for delivery of fresh and qualitative vegetables and other produce for wholesale and distribution.

The arrangement will enhance the whole value chain from farmer training and input provision to sorting and grading as well as temperature control infrastructure and transport logistics.

Jigawa is developing this concept primarily with Kaduna State and Technoserve (www.technoserve.org) an international non profit that tackles poverty by identifying local opportunity and applying business solutions as well as linking people to information, capital and markets.

We are also collaborating with technoserve , Syngenta and NIRSAL on a tomato production and post harvest loss reduction program called “Yieldwise” that is introducing new varieties and staggered production after we successfully hosted the 1st international tomato conference on May 9th 2018

Kaduna state is working on converting an existing facility in Maigana to a tomato and vegetable sorting complex and has secured land in lagos for wholesale activity, while jigawa is establishing one from scratch with technical input from technoserve.

Ultimately this state to state collaboration will evolve into a set of enforceable standards for food quality and handling, from replacing wicker baskets used for tomatoes and pepper storage with hygienic plastic or polystyrene crates, to regulation of national livestock transport and slaughter.

While the three states and FCT are primarily driving the project, the aim is to develop a Food mart concept driven by private enterprise that will involve any state willing to participate and meet production and quality standards.

This will hopefully bring an end to the scandalous importation of ‘fresh’ fruit and vegetables by 21 shoprite outlets and counting as well as direct import by smaller independent supermarkets.