AGRIC. PRODUCTS IN LAGOS AREA MARKETS: W A T E R M E L O N .

By S. Olanrewaju Disu .


ARTICLE FOURTEEN :

W A T E R M E L O N .


The watermelon is a widely grown African vine [ Citrus vulgaris ] of the gourd family whose fruits are watermelons. Watermelons found in Lagos markets are usually green or striped green, sometimes 2ft or more long , oblong or roundish shaped fruits. They are also broad at the apex and generally glabrous.

The watermelon fruit has a sweet, watery, pink or red pulp with many seeds. It is reported that the flesh amounts to 65% of the whole fruit, and of this, 95% is water ; hence the name, watermelon!

The fruits come in handy during the dry and harmattan seasons, and constitute a valuable source of water. The flesh is usually eaten raw. In Lagos area, some indigenous people invoke the fruit in an incatation for the good delivery of a pregnant woman !

The watermelon is supposed to be an annual plant. However, massive cultivation of the plant in the south-western part of Nigeria in recent years makes watermelons available in our markets in large quantities. When they are in season , few fruits surpass watermelons in Lagos Area markets. The large density of population , a substantial part of them educated and informed, realize the nutritional importance of fruits, watermelons inclusive. They contain essential vitamins and minerals that are vital for good health and disease prevention.

Right now, there are no canning industries that package watermelons. But because the populace consume watermelons veraciously either by itself or in combination with other fruits like pawpaw and banana to form desserts, watermelons are never wasted after harvests. They sell quickly like hot cakes at the markets – whether wholesale or retail.

Like other annuals in our markets in Lagos, there are times when watermelons are not in season. They come to the markets at this time in trickles, with attendant high prizes. These high prizes do not deter people from buying and consuming watermelons. Dry-season farmers in swampy areas reap financially from sowing watermelons when they are not in season.

PHOTOS : Watermelons for sale at “Ketu Market” on wholesale and at “Iyana Ejigbo” market on retail basis.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS.

By S. Olanrewaju Disu.


ARTICLE THIRTEEN :

PINE - APPLE .

The pine-apple is a very important and highly profitable agricultural product in Lagos area markets. Its botanical name is “Ananas comosus _ Family Bromeliaceae”. The pine-apple is a tropical monocotyledonous plant with rigid leaves and a short stalk. The fruit of this plant [ the pine-apple ] is succulent and fleshy.

The pine-apple is grown commercially in all the southern rain-forest zones of Nigeria, including Lagos State. When in season, i.e. during harvest period, very large quantities of this fruit are available for sale - both for humans and fruit-packaging industries.

The pine-apple fruit is rich in Vitamin C, which is used in the prevention and treatment of scurvy and as an antioxidant for foods. The fruit, ripe and unripe, contains proteolytic enzyme similar to papain found in pawpaw [carica papaya ]. Hence, the rush among the populace to eat pine-apples when in season.

In addition to the above, the unripe fruit of pine-apple is known to be purgative, diuretic, anthelmintic and expectorant. Furthermore, in this part of the world, it is taken by women as an emmenagogue.

Besides conventional market places, so many road-side pine-apples’ markets and sheds spring up when the pine-apple is season. Apart from human consumption, the wastes that come up after its peeling for food are fed to domestic animals and pigs.

In the past, incredibly large percentages of the pine-apple harvests in Nigeria are lost due to lack of good storage facilities and know-how. Nowadays, however, fruit packaging industries have sprung up all over Lagos State. This has considerably reduced post-harvest wastages; and the employment of youths has been enhanced. Pine-apple farming in Lagos area and the whole of southern Nigeria is now carried out in leaps and bounds.




PHOTOGRAPHS :

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL MARKETING OF PINE-APPLE IN LAGOS MARKETS.

AGRIC. PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS.

ARTICLE TWELVE :

OKRA

The okra, whose botanical name is ‘Abelmoschus esculentus, of the Family Malvaceae, is commonly found in Lagos Area markets. It is a vegetable crop used in soup preparation by all the peoples resident in the State.

Though okra is an annual vegetable grown by farmers as a cash-crop, it is also cultivated by many individuals as a garden vegetable. Furthermore, dry-season farming in swampy areas of Lagos produce okra fruits in large quantities. Therefore, okra, which is supposed to be an annual crop, is available in Lagos Area Markets all-year round. It’s harvesting is done over a long period of time. This helps its availability in the market, too.

There are various varieties of the okra crop in Lagos markets, and these crops vary in sizes.

Why is the populace keen on eating the okra? Experts tell us that okra contains vitamins A and C as well as starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin, which are good for the skin.

We are also told that the super fibre found in okro helps to stabilize blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract. Experts further tell us that okra fibre absorbs water and helps to prevent constipation. Also, okra is said to be very ideal for weight loss.

Finally, we are informed that okra is a good source of iron and calcium. Because of the above reasons, the okra vegetable will always be in demand in our markets in Lagos all-year round.


PHOTOGRAPHS :
SOME VARIETIES OF OKRA ON RETAIL SALE AT A LAGOS SUB- URBAN MARKETS

AGRIC. PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS.

By S. Olanrewaju Disu .


ARTICLE ELEVEN
P A W P A W

The pawpaw is a very prominent fruit in Lagos Area markets when it is in season. The fruit is large, oblong with green skin, which turns yellow when ripe and it has sweet, edible flesh. The flesh is eaten as fresh fruit or processed as dessert. The pawpaw fruit has a flesh that is usually orange or red in colour, with black , round seeds.

Historically, the pawpaw tree is native to central tropical America , but now , man has spread it to all warm countries. The pawpaw tree is also known as “carica papaya” of the family Caricaceae, the papaya family.

The pawpaw tree is a fast-growing , semi-woody tree; with male and female flowers usually on separate plants. This aids cross-pollination of plants. Therefore, in our markets, we have variation in shape and sizes of pawpaw fruits, and in sweetness of the pulp. As mentioned above, there are yellow-fleshed and pink/red-fleshed forms of the fruits.

When in season, Lagosians eat the pawpaw fruit not only for its sweetness, but also for its high nutritional and medicinal values. For example, the fruit is relatively rich in papain. Papain is important for its proteolytic action. It is also used as a tenderizer for meat. Besides papain, alkaloids are said to have been found in the latex. These alkaloids are heart-depressants, and may have some value in treatment of heart-disease, experts say.

The nutritional value of pawpaw is said to exceed that of apples, peaches and grapes in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and calories. Its water content is about 90%, while sugars and carbohydrates account for most of the balance.

Besides buying and selling of pawpaw fruits in our Lagos metropolitan markets , pawpaw plants are ornamentally planted around some homes and gardens to benefit from them in diverse ways, namely :

The leaf-pulp is haemostatic and is put on sores to promote healing.

The roots of pawpaw trees are purgative. In this part of the world, the root of the male tree is powdered and taken for the cure of head-ache. Ditto for respiratory problems, too.

Traditionally, the dry, brown pawpaw leaf is a good remedy for convulsion . It is grinded and added to palm kernel oil. It’s then stirred well and rubbed all over the body. It quickly arrests the abnormal condition.

By S. Olanrewaju Disu .

ARTICLE NINE:

B A N A N A .

The Banana is a peculiar tropical fruit with soft pulpy flesh. It is a widely cultivated perennial herb that does not have a persistent wood tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season. Banana fruits come in compact pendent bunches.

The Banana is a most valuable fruit in Lagos Metopolitan Markets. Banana is either eaten raw when ripe or can be processed into juice [ for toddlers or adults alike ] . The juice can be commercially canned or bottled. The ripe fruit can also be stored in the ’fridge. The banana fruit are harvested and brought into Lagos markets very frequently. Big lorries bring them from the hinterland several times in a week, when they are in season.

Virtually all the southern parts of Nigeria are tropical, rain-forest zones; and they enhance the cultivation of bananas on a very large scale. Therefore, Lagos area markets are flooded with bananas when they are in season.

The banana fruit is sometimes referred to as our “ invaluable friend” because of many reasons. The banana contains three sugars- glucose, fructose and sucrose. It also contains tryptophan, a type of protein that is very beneficial to humans. It is also high in iron, potassium and low in salt content. Thus this fruit is helpful in combating high blood pressure.

From time to time, the fibre contents of the banana help the local populace restore or ease bowel movement- i.e. helping to overcome constipation without the use of drugs.Its consumption also helps to combat heartburn problems because it has natural antacid effect on the body. Ulcer patients can also benefit tremendously from banana eating because it helps to neutralize over-acidity. Furthermore, the banana is reputed to be the only fruit that can be eaten raw [ without any distress ] in chronic cases of ulcer.

Can we say more of our most invaluable fruit called the banana? Yes! It helps to relieve some stress, because of its high potassium content. Whenever we are stressed, experts say, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing potassium levels. This, we are told , can be instantly re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium fruit such the banana. Banana is rich in a host of essential nutrients which makes it a very essential commodity in our markets in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.


PICTURES: Freshly harvested bananas for sale in a Lagos suburban market.

ARTICLE EIGHT.
=======================.

The Citrus Family.

In Lagos Metropolitan Area markets, the appearance of the citrus family- consisting of sweet orange ( scientific name : citrus sinensis ), sour orange ( citrus aurantium ), lime ( citrus aurantifolia), grape-fruit ( citrus paradisi ), lemon ( citrus limon ), tangerine ( citrus reticulata ), pomelo (citrus grandis ) and tangelo ( which is a hybrid between tangerine and pamelo ), is seasonal. When in season, the fruits come in diverse colours and sizes. In our markets, their colours range from green to a group of colours that lie midway between red and yellow.
In this part of the world, the cultivation, harvesting and storage of citrus fruits is laborious. Oranges and other members of the citrus family have peculiar climatic and soil requirements, as well as unique planting and propagation methods. Indeed, after planting, their maturity and harvesting occur between three and seven years. Rain and other climatic vagaries also play a role on the bumperness or otherwise of citrus harvests.
The first members of the citrus family that usually appear earlier than others in Lagos markets the lime, sour orange and tangerine.Their initial quantities in the market are small; they cost high and are not very juicy or succulent yet. Since harvesting is done by hand or harvesting knife, the arrival of citrus fruits into the markets is gradual at the initial stages of harvesting. This is usually between the months of July and September. In the meantime, sweet oranges are imported from neighbouring countries of West Africa to augment our shortfall. People patronize them in spite of their high cost because they are sweet, succulent,fleshy, and juicy.
When Nigerian oranges, grape-fruits and other citrus – family eventually arrive, Lagos area markets are agog with them, and the populace consume them with relish. Nature is so kind that the full-blown harvesting of citrus co-incides with the dry season,and at this period the have a sweet and pleasing taste, in addition to being good thirst-quenchers!
Virtually all the members of the citrus family in our markets are of immense benefits to the populace. For example, lemon ( citrus limon ) has a lot of nutritional as well as medicinal benefits. The lemon leaf is rich in aromatic essence-( limonene and linadol ). It also serves as a good sedative, giving no side effects. Lemon juice is rich in vitamins B1, B2, and C as well as flavonoids and organic acids. Lemon juice is also reputed to be a good remedy for scurvy, a disease caused by lack of Vitamin C. Sweet orange ( citrus sinensis ) is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

Nowadays, there has been tremendous progress in the processing of citrus fruits. We have modern, fair-sized factories that process oranges into canned orange-juices. Some are also processed as bottled orange-juices. These canned and bottled products sell very well in Lagos markets and shops, and they are in high demand at social functions, picnics and get-to –gethers. Thus, the citrus family serve as industrial raw materials to some of our factories in Lagos State.

It is pertinent to mention that the sale of citrus on wholesale in Lagos Area is carried out on many sub-urban locations,namely, the “ Agege Market ,’’ the “ Ketu Market,’’ and the “ Okokomaiko Market,’’ just to mention a few. Lorries and trailers bring them from the hinterland into Lagos. Because they are perishable items, whole-sale merchants sell them quickly to buyers who then transport them to neighbourhood urban markets for retail trading.


PHOTOGRAPH : Diverse members of the citrus family on sale at Lagos Markets.

ARTICLE SEVEN :

B E A N S.

Bean [related to the cowpea ] is the seed of any of various erect or climbing leguminous plants. Matured beans are eaten by the populace because of its richness in protein. When immature, a bean pod is used as a vegetable.
Beans in Lagos markets come in different colours and shapes. We have beans in brown, light brown, white and coffee-brown colours. The sizes of coffee-brown beans are much smaller than the others. But there is demand for all of them.
Beans are found in Lagos Area Markets all-year round. Beans are planted in all parts of the country. Beans can be planted either manually (i.e. by traditional farming methods ) or mechanically on a large scale. Early planting occurs in April and late planting takes place in August and September in the south; while in the northern part of the country, planting occurs in July and August of each year. Matured beans are harvested three to four months after planting.
Years ago, beans are harvested traditionally and manually on a small scale . But nowadays, upsurge in population means many mouths to feed. Therefore, there is now a corresponding change in farming methods. Shellers are used on a large scale. There are now very large, mechanized and modern farms in the northern part of the country that produce very large quantities of beans. Storage of processed beans is now done in silos on a very large scale. Also, hermatic storage is done in air-tight containers. The beans are then transported to Lagos in jute bags, via long-haulage trailers.
The demand for beans in Lagos area is insatiable. This proteinaceous food item is usually eaten in various cooked forms.When cooked, it can be eaten with bread or rice , yam ,
Soup or cooked with corn. It is extremely popular with blue-collar workers and students.
Market-places in Lagos sell beans both whole-sale and retail. The traditional entry-point of the item into Lagos, i.e. the popular “ Mile 12 Market” , also sells beans on wholesale and retail basis.
There are traditional and beliefs embedded in beans-eating in south-west Nigeria (including Lagos State). The birth of twin – children is traditionally celebrated with cooking and eating of beans. Families into which twins are born periodically cook and eat,as well as share cooked beans with others- neighbours, extended families and friends.
At social functions, rice-based foods are usually complemented by a special delicacy called “moin-moin”. This special delicacy is made of 95% bean content. We also have fried bean-balls,used to complement “ogi” , the local custard drink. It is also eaten with bread.
On a smaller scale, soya-beans are also available in Lagos Area markets.Soya beans are usually used as supplements to infant-foods. Soyabeans are reputed to be very nutritious and extremely rich in proteins. However, soyabeans are not very popular on the people’s food tables because of its reputation of being very tough to cook!


*Photographs above are of beans and some other grains on retail markets in Lagos area.

AGRIC. PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS.

By S. OLANREWAJU DISU.


ARTICLE SIX.



C O R N

When in season,corn is found in every market, big or small, all over Lagos Metropolitan Area. The scientific name for corn [ or maize] is “ zea mays “. It is a cereal crop and is a member of the grass family.

In southern Nigeria, corn has two main planting periods—early corn being planted between March and April, i.e. at the on-set of the early rainy season; while late corn[ or maize ] is planted between July and August, to co-incide with the late rainy season. Corn can also be planted in other parts of Nigeria where irrigation is available. But the plantation of rain-fed corn produces delicious and sturdy products.

After planting, corn planted early in the year usually takes two to three months to mature while corn planted late in the year takes three to four months to mature.

Very large quantities of corn are harvested green. These are immediately transported to large whole-sale markets in the Lagos Metropolis. To mention a few,we have the popular “Mile 12 Market”, the “Agege Market”, the “Okokomaiko Market”and the “Iyana-Iba Market”. Market women flood these markets from dawn to evening , buying freshly-harvested corn from both the hinterland and near-by farms. Ad-hoc corn sellers emerge every year during this harvest period. Transporters make brisk business during this period, too. Small, medium-size and large trucks are deployed in large numbers to evacuate corn from the entire southern states of Nigeria to Lagos State to feed a densely populated people who love eating corn in various forms. Corn is tasty and has a lot of nutritional value.

In addition to being eaten either boiled or roasted, corn is processed into corn flour , corn-flakes and livestock feeds. These processed corn products are sold in different urban markets— e.g. “ Oke- Arin Market “ and “ Daleko Market “, either on wholesale or retail basis.

In Lagos markets, we have both the yellow and white corn. Each variety is equally acceptable to the people because each serves a cultural need. For example, the white variety is used for special diets, namely, “ogi” – the local custard drink, “tuo”--- similar to mashed potatoes, and “adalu”—i.e. combination of two grains—corn and beans cooked together. Similarly, the yellow variety is used as above except for “tuo’’ and “eko”—which are usually made with white corn by some ethnic people in the populace. Both yellow and white corn are also used in feeding domestic poultry – a popular pastime among the middle-aged and retirees.

After harvesting fresh corn, a substantial quantity are left and harvested dry. These dried varieties are available in our markets all-year round. They also come as yellow-maize or white-maize. These dried corns serve the populace before the arrival of another planting season and harvest. There are livestock feed-mills in Lagos area, the largest of which is located at the Ikeja Industrial Estate. Therefore, corn is a very important agricultural product in Lagos State.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS ACCOMPANYING THIS ARTCLE SHOW SOME OF THE MANY FORMS IN WHICH CORN IS SOLD IN LAGOS MARKETS.

ARTICLE FIVE.
O N I O N.
A prominent agricultural product to be found in Lagos Metropolitan Area markets is the onion. Historically, the onion ( Allium cepa ) is a herb of Asiatic origins. It is of the lily family with pungent edible bulbs. The onion has a stinging or biting quality of odours, causing a sharp or irritating sensation.
Onion is widely cultivated in the northern part of Nigeria. Like most crops in our markets, it has a season when it is in abundance, as is the case since about five or more weeks ago. Onions are everywhere at affordable prices.
The climatic condition in the northern part of Nigeria,coupled with very large agricultural land- mass and heavily mechanized land cultivation make growing of onions a very profitable business. On top of this bliss, there is a ready market for onions in Lagos.
The point of entry for onions into Lagos is the famous “ Mile 12 Market “ _ which is located at Ikosi-Isheri Local Government Area, along the Ikorodu Express Road in Lagos State. At regular intervals, long-haulage trailers bring in large quantities of freshly –harvested onions into the ‘’Mile 12 Market”. Needless to stress, this market is a bee-hive of activities__wholesale agric merchants, whole-sale buyers, permanent and casual labourers who engage in off-loading neatly packed sacks of onions from trailers, as well as hordes of market women who come in to buy and resell in neighbourhood markets on retail basis.
Virtually all the onions consumed in Lagos Area are grown in the northern part of Nigeria. Before the establishment of the ‘’Mile 12 Market’’, people usually purchase onions wholesale from the ‘’Iddo Market’’,which is located near the Nigerian Railways Terminus. In those days before the discovery of oil, farm-produce from the north were brought into Lagos by rail.There were few trailers and very few highways. The ‘’Iddo Market’’ logically grew up near the railway terminus. But time changes everything! Lagos simply grew to become a large cosmopolitan area and ‘’Iddo Market’’ alone cannot serve the populace; hence the emergence of the ‘’Mile 12 Market”, located several kilometers north of the ‘’Iddo Market’’. Onions and other farm products, especially from the north, e.g. groundnuts [ pea-nuts ] are still available at the Iddo – Market.
When onions are not in season and the prices are high, consumers literally pay through the nose to purchase them. This is so because in this part of the world, onions have no alternative crops to replace them in cooking. When not in season, it is funny to observe onions in ridiculously small sizes that still sell like hot cakes!

AGRIC PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS.

BY S.Olanrewaju Disu.
Artcle Four;

Yam.
Yam is a crop that produces tuber under the ground and provides carbohydrates,to humans when eaten.yam is the ediblestarch tuberons roots of various plants [genus dioscorea of the family dioscoreaceae] commonly used as a staple food in tropical areas.In the Lagos Metropolitan area,yam is widely used as a staple food by the huge populance.some merchants trade year-round in yams and yam-products.eg yam-flour.
There are two distinct planting dates for yam production.therefore,there are periods when yams are in large supply and sell cheaply.also,there are periods when yams are in short supply with consequential high price.

Early yam is planted between November and December, while late yam is planted between March and April.Yam matures in 8-12 months after planting.therefore,near yam appears in the market from the months of July and August.in the southern parts of Nigeria,yam is planted between November and December each year .hence.new yam appears first in the southern state long before the advent of new yams from the northern parts.Geographically, however ,the northern parts of the country has much more vast quantity of arable land for yam-farming on a very large scale.Hence late yams planted in the north can not be totally exhausted before the advent of new yams in the south to shore up supplies.

Altogether there are about five varieties of yam to be found in Lagos area markets, namely white yam [dioscorea routundata];water yam [dioscorea alata];aerial yam [dioscorea bulbifera];yellow yam [dioscorea cayenesis] as well as bitter yam [dioscorea domentorum].
The most popular varieties are the white yam and the water yam.the white yam [dioscorea rotundata] is by far the most popular and the most widespread in Lagos markets.this is chiefly because it is put into various uses by all and Sundry.we can mention six right-away ;
i. “Boiled-yam” which can be eaten with cooked beans and soups or with palm oil or scambled eggs ;
ii. “Pounded –yam” which is boiled-yam moulded in large,wooden mortar and pestle “ pounded yam” is eaten with vegetable soup and meat or fish;
iii. “Dundun” which is fried yam;
iv. “smoked-yam,” which is eaten with palm-oil or oily soup;
v. “Porridge”which is the delicacy of the elite and ;
vi. “yam-flour,”usually converted into “amala”.which is very popular among the inhabitants of Nigeria’s south-west.”amala” is eaten with vegetable soup .

Right now,new yam tubers are gradually flooding the markets in lagos metropolis. The prices are falling and everybody is buying and eating yam.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS
By S.Olanrewaju Disu


ARTICLE THREE:

CLASSIFICATION:

Agricultural products found in Lagos Metropolitan Area Markets can be grouped under the following:
A. CROPS
B. LIVESTOCK
C. PACKAGED ITEMS

A. CROPS:
A large variety of crops are found in markets in the Lagos metropolis. They can however be subdivided as follows:
(i) Fruits: Commonly found are citrus fruits: orange, tangerine, tangelo, grape fruits, lime, lemon as well as mangoes, bananas, plantain, pawpaw, pineapples, “asala” also called walnuts, “agbalumo” and “awin”. We also have the popular water melon, pears, apples, “igba” also called garden egg, water melon seeds also called “apon” or “ogbonno”
(ii) Vegetables: Vegetables, mostly green and leafy, abound in large varieties and quantities in Lagos markets. Because of their nutritional benefits (they are rich in vitamins and minerals).They are in high demand all year round, bitter leaf, “igbo”, “ugwu”, water-leaf, “soko”, and “tete” are readily available in Lagos markets. Also available are cabbage and lettuce.
Additionally, we also find fruit vegetables which include tomato, pepper (“atarodo” and “tatase”). These come in bright colours and are a delight to watch at the markets. Peppers also include “sombo” (both fresh and dried). Also to be found are okro, onion, cucumber and carrots – when in season.
(iii) Cereals: The demand for cereals in Lagos Metropolitan Area cannot be over-emphasized. Markets therefore stock them in very large quantities. Rice, a typical example of cereal, even has a market, the popular “Daleko” market that specializes in large scale rice selling. Other cereals that abound in Lagos markets are maize (or corn) which shall be treated specially in subsequent write-ups, guinea corn, millet and wheat.
(iv) Legumes: These legumes produce protein rich seeds which the populace cherishes. Typical examples are cowpea, groundnut and soyabeans. Large and very expansive farmlands in the northern parts of the country produce those legumes in large quantities. There has also been tremendous scientific improvement in the storage methods of the products. Therefore they are always available all year round in Lagos markets.
(v) Root and Tuber Crops: These sets of crops are the traditional staple food of most people who live in Lagos. They are yam, cassava, cocoyam, Irish potato and sweet potato. They are called root and tuber crops because they produce enlarged edible portions in roots as underground stems. One of them, cassava, is the basic raw material used in the preparation of “gari” and “fufu” as well as “lafun”, which the populace uses in complementing vegetable soups.
(vi) Spices: This is another category of crops found in Lagos area markets. They are ginger, powdered red pepper, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon, salt, though not a crop but mineral , adds taste to food. The same function is performed by “iru” (locust beans) – a psicethat is widely available in Lagos markets “iru” is a condiment which has gained popularity.
Natural spices come from bark, roots, leaves, stems, buds, seeds and aromatic plants. Since we are in the tropics year round, and plants that produce the above are plentiful. Spices herbs and vinegars that give different flavours to almost any food abound in Lagos markets.
B. LIVESTOCK
In addition to vegetables and other farm products, livestock forms very important agricultural items that are found in Lagos Metropolitan markets. These livestock can be broadly divided into:
(i) Poultry: Chicken, ducks, guinea fowl and turkeys. As usual, there are packets of markets that “specialize” in the sale of “live” chicken, duck and guinea fowl only, for example “Alasalatu street” market. In the larger general markets, for example, the Iyana - Ejigbo market, we have both live and frozen poultry. Some sellers even help buyers to kill and dress poultry for a fee.
(ii) Fish: Fresh fish, frozen fish, smoked fish and dried fish are readily available. In recent years, there has been tremendous interest in fish farming among the populace. Therefore, there is always daily supply of live fresh water fish in all the markets in the metropolis. These include crayfish, prawns, both fresh and smoked. The “Obun-Eko” market is popular for dried fish and crayfish.
(iii) Meat: Lagos Metropolitan Area markets get supplies of fresh meat abattoirs very early in the morning long before noon. This is because large numbers of cattle are slaughtered at the abattoirs that are scattered all over the metropolis. Additionally, we have “meat markets”usually located very adjacent to abattoirs or slaughter slabs.
(iv) Snails: These are also to be found in Lagos Area Markets. Renewed interest in snail farming in recent years has made snails to be in good supply at our markets. Assumed medicinal value of snails among the people make snail selling a very profitable venture in our markets
B. PACKAGED ITEMS
The third category of agricultural products to be found in Lagos Area Markets are packaged items : wheat flour, which is used for bread making, snacks and other pastry products. Flour mills are strategically sited at the vicinity of Apapa port ( a natural harbour) in Lagos. Large, ocean liners bring in wheat from the western hemisphere to these large scale flour milling industries at regular intervals; hence a large abundance of wheat flour flood some “specialized” markets noted for these – namely, the “Oke-Arin” market in Lagos Island, and the “Daleko” market in Lagos Mainland. These flours are packed in strong 50kg polyethylene sacks.
Packaged grains – i.e. rice and beans are also available in large quantities in the above-named main markets as well as in other sub-urban markets. They too come packaged in 50kg polyethylene sacks.
Vegetable oils, in tinned, beautifully labeled containers ranging from 2litres to 50litres sizes are also available in the above-named main markets as well as various supermarkets big and small in the metropolis. Palm kernel oil and the famous palm oil (products of our local industries) abound plentifully. The demand for them is insatiable.
Finally, we have tinned tomatoes and tinned tomato purees. All our markets, grocery stores, super and mini markets sell tinned tomatoes all year round. The are both imported as well as produced locally from our tomato packing industry

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS

By S.Olanrewaju Disu


ARTICLE TWO.

PECULIARITY OF THE MARKETS
It is pertinent to mention that there are some markets in the Lagos Area Metropolis that sell only one agricultural product. For example, the “Idi-Oro Market “sells only plantains, and perhaps corn when in season. Virtually all the southern part of Nigeria, i.e. the tropical rain-belt zone, produces plantains and bananas all-year round, and the “Idi-Oro Market” in Lagos receives and sells this product everyday. We also have markets that sell only yams. These are dotted all over the metropolis. Though yam is a seasonal crop, it is cultivated very extensively in the middle-belt area of the country. Hence, it is always available all-year round.
There are the rams’ markets. The biggest of these rams’ markets is the “Alaba Rago Market’’, situated along the Lagos – Badagry Expressway, on the outskirts of Lagos Metropolitan Area. The expansive land-mass with sub-tropical climate of the Northern parts of the country is extremely favourable to ruminant live-stock production, and there are ever-ready markets in Lagos for these animals.
We have the “Daleko Market’’ in Lagos that specializes in the sale of a popular cereal- i.e. rice and vegetable oils. These two items are available in the “Daleko Market’’ year-round, rain or shine, from dawn to dusk. There are always heavy vehicular and human traffic in and around the market every single minute of the day. Indeed, it is one of the busiest markets in the whole country.
There is the well-known snail-market in Lagos Island situated near the “Okesuna Municipal School’’ behind the “Abari Cemetry’’. Renewed interest in snail-farming in recent years has made snails to be in good supply at our markets. Assumed medicinal value of snails among our people make snail- selling a profitable venture in our markets.
We also have meat markets. These are markets that sell only beef and mutton. These types of markets are usually located adjacent to or not far from abattoirs. They operate six days a week – Sundays traditionally being rest days. Because of the large density of population in Lagos Metropolis, meat- markets are tremendously patronized. Indeed, our butchers, though not very educated, are people of comfortable means. That’s why some of them pass down the profession to their off-springs!
Finally, we have fish markets. Lagos, an island surrounded by water (the lagoon, the Atlantic Ocean, rivulets & creeks) has fish in abundance. These naturally must create peculiar markets that specialize in the selling of sea-foods. We have them at Apapa, Ijora ( Ibru Jetty ), Badagry and Epe.
Because of the huge population, fish and other sea-foods must be imported to compliment local production, which has dwindled because over-fishing and the depletion of fishing population due to several other factors- e.g. the pollution of sea-water from industrial wastes.
Alas, the importation of fish simply created another peculiar market- the frozen fish market!
Indeed, people who sell frozen fish do sell frozen chicken and turkey alongside them- all in the same cold room! Local poultry farmers always have ready markets available in these frozen fish markets.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN LAGOS MARKETS

PREAMBLE:
The Lagos Metropolitan Area of Lagos State, in South-West Nigeria, is very densely populated. According to the Lagos State Government, Metropolitan Lagos, an area covering 37% of the land area of Lagos State, is home to over 85 % of the State population, which the State government put at 17 Million out of a national estimate of 150 million. The rate of population growth is about 600,000 per annum with a population density of about 4,193 persons per sq. km. In the built up areas of Metropolitan Lagos, the average density is over 20,000 persons per square km. The UN estimates that at its present growth rate, Lagos will be the third largest mega city in the world by the year 2015 after Tokyo in Japan and Bombay in India.

HISTORICAL FACTS:
The discovery and exploration of oil in large commercial quantities in the 1970s brought in huge financial resources to the Federal Government of Nigeria, whose seat was then in Lagos. Because of the oil wealth, the government engaged in developmental activities of monumental dimensions: building of bridges, fly-overs, express-ways, modern airports, big and sophisticated hotels, land – reclamation, massive road re-constructions and building of magnificent office complexes as well as expansion of wharfs and sea-ports.
The above brought about a deluge of multi-national construction companies into Lagos. These construction companies need battalions of workers: skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled. This, in a nutshell, is the genesis of the influx of people into Lagos. This influx has continued unabated till today. Indeed, this influx has brought about socio-economic problems-mainly food and shelter. To quote the famous slogan of the F.A.O,”food comes first.” the need for the enlarged population of Lagos Metropolitan Area. to feed its people created market places all over the area.

THE MARKETS:
The adequately take care of the populace; many of the markets in Lagos area are fairly large. These markets sell a large variety of agricultural products: fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry and fish (both fresh fish and dried or smoked fish), cereals, root and tuber crops, spices and herbs as well as edible vegetable oils. We also have meat, from cattle and mutton.

Nigeria is blessed with vast areas of land that support agricultural and arable activities all-year round. Therefore Lagos Area markets are never in want of farm products – albeit there are times when these products are in season (when we have them in large quantities and they sell relatively cheaply) and also there are times when they are not in season (fewer quantities and high prices).

How are these agricultural products brought into the markets?. Third party middle –men (sometimes called produce-buyers) go into farm-lands in the hinterland. They buy sundry farm products directly from farmers. Since these farmers do not have the technical know-how and resources to keep and store their farm produce for a considerable length of time, they sell cheaply to produce-buyers who immediately transport the fruits, peppers, yams and others in very large quantities, using long-haulage trailers, into Lagos State. The trailers off-load these farm products into large markets on the out-skirts of Lagos specifically built for this purpose, e.g. the popular “Mile 12” Market. It is from these markets that scores of market-women (and men, too) buy and transport (on a whole-sale basis) farm products that are then distributed by use of pick-up vans to various urban and sub-urban markets in the metropolis. Small-scale retailers also come in droves to buy farms products, namely, peppers, fresh leafy vegetables, onions, yams, carrots, cucumbers, spices etc. and transport same in unionized transport services to various neighbourhood markets and local retail outlets.