AGRIC PRODUCTS IN LAGOS AREA MARKETS: ARTICLE NINETEEN - SORGHUM

By S. Olanrewaju Disu.

Sorghum, which we call locally as “guinea-corn”,is historically reputed to be among the world’s grain crops, ranking fourth in importance after wheat, rice and maize.Sorghum, also known locally in Lagos Area as “oka-baba” is scientifically called “Sorghum bicolor, Family Gramineae”.

Sorghum is available in most Lagos Area urban retail markets where grains are sold.These markets include the “Ikotun Market”, the “Ejigbo Market”, and the “Mushin Market”. However, the number of residents that patronize sorghum in Lagos Area is not relatively large. The reason is cultural.Sorghum is a dry area cereal, an edaphic situation found in the northern part of the country.Therefore, not all the ethnic populations of Lagos Area consume sorghum.Human consumption is normally in the form of food like “ogi”- i.e. local custard, porridge or cake.Some are used for formenting to local beer, popularly called “burukutu”. This local beer originates from the northern part of the country, where sorghum is vastly cultivated.In Lagos Metropolitan Area , there is an area called “Idi-Araba”, which is predominantly populated by people from the north. In this area, brewing and drinking “burukutu” is a thriving business.Other sorghum-based diets are consumed with relish at “Idi-Araba”.

Also, some residents of the state, who are of south-western Nigerian extraction, and call sorghum by the name “oka-baba”, use sorghum seeds to brew and drink what is called “oti-baba”, meaning sorghum-beer.

Sorghum is an annual or perennial grass with stout culms-i.e. monocotyledonous stems.Culturally, the culms of some self-sown (perennial) plants of sorghum are used to make flutes in the northern part of Nigeria.

The dietetic value of sorghum is reportedly poor, though it is a very important dry area cereal.Sorghum is known to be conspicuously deficient in minerals except phosphorus and magnesium.It is reported that in threshed and polished sorghum grains, vitamins A and B and protein are depleted.Nonetheless, sorghum serves as poultry and cattle-feed. Large, modern breweries in Lagos Metropolitan Area use sorghum as part of their local contents in beer-making. Some of our modern, state-of- the –art flour mills mill them, too.

PHOTO: Sorghum seeds sold in Lagos urban markets.

AGRIC PRODUCTS IN LAGOS AREA MARKETS: ARTICLE EIGHTEEN - PALM OIL

By S. OLANREWAJU DISU

One of the greatest gifts of nature to the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the earth is the palm-tree family. Palm-trees belong to a family called “palmae”. They are monocotyledonous trees with usually a simple stem and terminal crown of large, fan-shaped leaves. The oil-palm[Elais guineenis] is an oil crop which belongs to this palm-tree family. We obtain oil and kernel from it, and these are of importance commercially.

Palm oil is an edible fat obtained from the flesh of the fruit of the oil-palm – called the palm kernel. In Lagos Area markets, the palm-oil is available all-year either on whole-sale or retail basis. As a matter of fact, to several families in the metropolis, their household or kitchen’s food items are inchoate without the palm-oil. The palm-oil is life!

Both domestically and industrially, the palm-oil is very useful. Palm-oil is used in soap-making, manufacture of candles and lubricants. Palm-oil is used in the making of margarine. In Lagos State, there is a big firm whose factories produce margarine on a very large scale.Many whole-sale palm-oil sellers derive huge profits by supplying palm-oil to these factories and others that use palm-oil as industrial raw material.

Residents flock into and purchase palm-oil in Lagos Area Markets on a continous daily basis for diverse reasons: home-cooking, frying of bean-cakes near bus-stops for itinerant workers, frying of fish and meat as a means of preserving them for non-immediate use, ceremonies, festivals,etc.

Palm-oil is sold in all shapes and sizes of glass-bottles and plastic jars that range from 2cl to 5liters on retail basis at all our urban and sub-urban markets on retail basis. Whole-sale of palm-oil is done in selected markets-e.g. the “Daleko Market” and the “Mushin Market”. At these markets, the containers used are large 200 liter metal drums. These large drums are used ab initio to bring down palm oil from various palm-oil making factories- and they are many- in the hinterland into Lagos State. The above – named markets are the chief depots for palm-oil delivery. Needless to say, delivery of palm-oil as an industrial raw-material to factories is usually effected in large 200L drums. Commercial transporters, using long-haulage trucks, make brisk business delivering palm-oil to factories.

Palm-oil is sometimes used in the pharmaceutical industry as a component part of suppositories. Also, palm-oil is medically used as an antidote in food-poisoning or accidental swallowing of chemicals.Hence, the palm-oil, derived from the fruit of the palm-tree, is a very important agricultural product in our markets in Lagos Metropolitan Area. A wonderful gift of nature, indeed!

PHOTO’S : Bottled palm-oil on retail sale at the urban “ Iyana- Ejigbo” market.

ARTICLE SEVENTEEN - GROUNDNUT (PEANUT)

By S. OLANREWAJU DISU

A very important agricultural product found in Lagos Metropolitan Area markets and, indeed, along the streets being hawked by street-traders, is the ground-nut (or the peanut). Humans and livestock derive benefits from this wonderful gift of nature.

The scientific name of groundnut ( or peanut ) is “ Arachis hypogaea”. It derives its name
“groundnut” from its special peculiarity: the flowers of the groundnut plant are borne on spikes in the axils of the leaves. The ovary is at the base of this structure termed “peg”. On fertilization, it becomes meristematic and positively geotropic, extending and pressing itself into the soil. At about 2-7 cm deep in the ground, it loses its geotropism to turn sideways; then the ovary grows and swells into a fruit lying horizontally in the soil- the groundnut!

Though wherever the groundnut is grown it is primarily for its seeds, the fruit’s husk is also fed to cattle, goats and rams. The husk, withered leaves and stems are very valuable to livestock during the dry and harmattan seasons when the grasses dry out.

Groundnut cultivation requires warm to hot conditions and a well distributed rainfall during the growing season. These climatic conditions are found in both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria. Furthermore, scientific preservation of harvests in silos have helped in the continuous availability of this annual leguminous product in our markets in Lagos.

Groundnut cultivation has encouraged the set-up of diverse economic activities. A large percentage of the groundnut harvest is crushed industrially for oil used in cooking, making margarine, shortening and soap. Groundnut cake left after the expression of the oil is used as food by humans and also, it is added to livestock feeds as valuable protein content. The groundnut cake also has industrial applications – e.g. it enters into the preparation of a glue for bonding plywood.

On the domestic scene in Lagos area, roasted groundnut is a favorite food of many residents. It is eaten by itself or in conjunction with roasted corn. During the hot dry season, roasted groundnut is eaten with a bye-product of “cassava” known as “garri” while the latter is soaked in cold water. Also, boiled groundnut is very popular among the populace. It is not taken as a whole meal, but as snack.When groundnut is fully in season, many street-traders hawk boiled groundnut all over our streets in addition to sales in road-side urban markets.

Finally, roasted groundnut is eaten with roasted plantain as mid-day and evening snacks. The chaotic traffic situation in our metropolis keep many residents away from home from morning till dusk during week-days. Hence, the availability of ad-hoc meals like fried or boiled groundnuts is a very pleasant relief to itinerant residents of Lagos metropolis.



PHOTO’S :

A---- Groundnut cake and bottled groundnut oil for cooking (on sale at an urban market in Lagos)

B. Groundnuts [peanuts] on sale at a Lagos sub-urban market.

C----Groundnut cake in pellets [ loved by school children, and adults, too! ]

A G R I C . P R O D U C T S I N L A G O S A R E A M A R K E T S

By S. Olanrewaju Disu.

ARTICLE SIXTEEN : CARROT.


In Lagos area markets, carrot is available all-year round. Carrot is scientifically known as “ Daucus carota” of the family “ Umbelliferae”. It is native to Europe , North Africa and Asia. However, some parts of northern Nigeria, whose climate and other edaphic factors are close in similarity to the temperate areas mentioned above, support the growth and cultivation of carrots.

The carrot is a biennial herb with a usually orange-coloured and spindle-shaped edible root. Being a biennial plant, it is theoretically supposed to be appearing every two years- i.e. growing vegetatively during the first year and fruiting and dying during the second. Practically, however, the availability of large land mass and perennial carrot cultivation by both peasant and large-scale farmers in the north make carrots available in Lagos markets from time to time.

Like most agricultural products in our markets, however, there are times when carrots are in season and sell cheaply, and at other times, when they are in short supply and cost more.

Carrot is erroneously thought to be food for the elite among our populace, who consume exotic foods like salad , “jollof –rice”,etc. But continuous education in the news media have drawn people’s attention to the importance of high inclusion of vegetables, carrots included, in our diets because of the numerous nutrients they supply to the body.
Experts educate us everyday that people who consume lots of vegetables have lower rates of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, eye problems and even cancer.

Carrots contain Vitamin C and experts tell us that it is good in the prevention and treatment of scurvy and as an antioxidant. Carrot-eating is good in balancing one’s vegetable intake between the orange/red and green varieties. Experts say the more colorful one’s choice, the healthier it usually is . Carrot also has fiber which helps control blood glucose levels and reduces cholesterol . The importance of carrots in our markets cannot be over-emphasized.



Photo’s:
Freshly arrived carrots from farmlands in the north at the “ Mile 12” Wholesale Market”.

Carrots, washed and ready for sale on retail basis at “ Oshodi” and “Ejigbo” retail markets.

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