Moringa products: Farmers search for domestic markets

MORINGA FARM ERS ARE in search of local markets for their produce, Adebipe Ojediran, the chairman, Moringa Farmers’ Cooperative Society, Oyo has said, calling on the government for support to increase demand for local production.

He said the patronage of the locals is low, hindering profitability and sustainability.

“If the farmers get Moringa leaves and seeds and there are no regular demand, they will be discouraged to continue planting Moringa. Presently, we have only a company called Vidsa Multiventures Ltd. and it is demanding for Moringa leaves. If the company is not making money out of it, it will be reluctant to take more leaves,’’ Ojediran said.

The chairman, also urging the federal government to ban the importation of sub-standard Moringa products, said “in the market, we have so many imported Moringa products, although they are not as good as our own product, but you know that Nigerians prefer to have something from outside.

I will like to suggest that the Federal Government should protect locally made Moringa product. If the manufacturers in the country are protected by putting a ban on Moringa product entering the country, then the farmers will benefit because the home manufacturers will demand for more leaves and stems. But for now, the demand is not sustaining the farmers,’’ he said.

Daniel Maliq, a Moringa farmer, stressed the need for industries and other relevant companies to buy Moringa product, saying industries need to look inwards to support local production.

“We need industries that will be taking Moringa leaves from us. If they can take the leaves every seven weeks, it will be better and we, as farmers will be happy because it will sustain our livelihood,” he said.

Moringa looks set to become one of the fastest growing cash crops coming out of the African continent as world food prices soar. It is a cheap seedling with high returns on investment and grows in every part of the country.

The global Moringa Products market estimated to be over $4 billion is highly dependent on India, which supplies about 80 percent of the demand of Moringa products, enjoying dominant position in the world.

However, due to wide range of nutritional and medicinal properties, Moringa is rapidly growing as a means of solving health problems in Africa, but the demand has not attained levels expected by farmers.