How Kano community generates income through dry season vegetable farming
Farmers in Kanwa community, a village few kilometres from Kano metropolis, have started smiling to the bank as the harvest of their vegetables is intensifying.
The farmers, although mostly on a small scale, are earning a living with the harvest amidst trending naira and fuel scarcity facing the country.
Located in Madobi Local Government Area, the village is surrounded by a number of water ponds which has become a blessing to the farmers and gives them the opportunity to embark on dry season farming.
A visit to the farm areas revealed that most of them planted lettuce, tomato, potato and onions, and harvest has already commenced.
Speaking to our correspondents, one of the farmers sighted in his farm, Zubairu Murtala Kanwa, said that from his less than one acre tomato farm, he’s been able to get seven baskets for two weeks now and that his family is living on the yields.
“We use this pond for this season’s farming. It’s an opportunity to plant vegetables which sustain us till another rainy season. After this, the pond will dry and we have to wait until another season.”
He said they often take the tomatoes to different
markets to sell while some buyers also come right inside their farms to buy.
Another farmer, Abdullahi Auwalu, said although they don’t have large farms, they believed that their land is blessed and so yields plenty every season.
He said many of them rely on the ponds to live within the period between the rainy season and dry season.
“From my onions farm, I am expecting 20 to 25 sacks and it is priced well in the market. Most of the markets are Garu in Karfi, Kwanar Dangora and Makarfi Local Government Area in Kaduna State,” he said.
He said while the onions is for a large sum of money, the lettuce is sold on a daily basis.
“My wife sells lettuce and tomatoes at home. Likewise, one of my children. This is how we live and from the proceeds, we pay school fees and cater to other needs.”