The Chairperson of the Farmers Community in Ojo Local Government Area, Mayriam Ali, says vegetable prices are expected to rise in the coming weeks following flooding that destroyed farms in Ojo and other parts of Lagos State.
She described flooding as the biggest challenge confronting farmers in Ojo, noting that the area’s swampy terrain makes farmlands highly vulnerable during the rainy season.
Ali lamented that heavy rainfall submerged farmlands, destroyed crops and prevented many farmers from harvesting or replanting noting that a bunch of waterleaf which currently sells for about N500 could rise to between N1,000 and N1,300.
According to her, vegetables with longer maturity periods suffered greater losses because many were washed away before reaching harvest.
She, however, said vegetables with shorter maturity periods, such as shoko, tete and ewedu, might remain relatively affordable because they can be replanted quickly.
Ali called for affordable solar-powered pumping machines to help farmers manage flooding and reduce crop losses, urged government to improve transportation infrastructure to ease the movement of vegetables from farms to markets,
