Nigeria fruit industry in shambles

Nigeria is the 9th top producer of mangoes according to available statistics from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. The country produces over 850,000 metric tonnes.
India tops the list with 15, 188,000 metric tonnes followed by China Mainland (4,350,000 metric tonnes), Thailand (2,600,000 metric tonnes), Indonesia (2,131,139 metric tonnes), Pakistan (1,888, 449 metric tonnes), Mexico (1, 827,314 metric tonnes), Brazil (1, 249,521 metric tonnes) and Bangladesh slightly above Nigeria with 889,176, metric tonnes.
Described as the king of fruits, mango is eaten by many people across the world. They are used in a variety of cuisines around the world, such as mango lassi, pickles, custards and puddings or even raw as the case in Nigeria.
While most of the top producers in the world are adding value to their products, most of the ones produced here are left to be eaten raw or to just waste away.
At Zuba fruit market in Abuja, the fruit is supplied in large quantity but only insignificant number of retailers come around to buy it from farmers who often than not have to transport the produce from distances across the country.
The largest state that supplies the produce to the federal capital is Benue, which is also the largest supplier of oranges to most of the fruits markets in Abuja.
Farmers are offered between N80,000 to N120,000 for a quantity loaded in a vehicle. The prices are also subject to the quality and the size of the mangoes.
Apart from small retailers who in most cases buy counted ones, most of the varieties brought are not heat-tolerant as they rot away leaving farmers helpless and desperate to get buyers to be able to offset the cost of transportation, most of the farmers spoken to lamented.
Fruit processing and packaging is a major challenge facing Nigerian fruit farmers, which has resulted in low income for farmers compared to their counterparts from South Africa, Egypt and other nations.
The problem is further complicated by lack of commitment on the side of governments at all levels to help farmers set up infrastructures that will promote agro export activities in other to scale up production.
With so much potential to be the hub of agro activities in Africa – but lack of commitment on the part of federal government, to revitalise the comatose fruit industry – Nigeria fruit subsector has remained in shambles.