FarmersJoint.com

As I drove through the quiet villages of Rano and Kibiya LGAs, something kept catching my eyes - these little curved shelters filled with onions, standing proudly beside the farms.
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Locals call them Gadawa.

I saw them everywhere — in Bima, Ɓure, Kalanbu, Dakatsalle, and Doguwar Kwana. Each Gadawa can hold roughly 30 to 40 bags of onions, the farmers told me.

Inside, onions rest neatly on raised wooden platforms. Above them, tarpaulin or woven mats form a curved roof - a simple but clever design that keeps the onions dry, airy, and safe from the harsh sun, rain, and pests.
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It’s the kind of smart local engineering you can’t help but admire — born from experience, not textbooks.

Farmers said they went big on onion planting this year, hoping for another season of sweet profits like last year’s. But the market turned. Supply is high, demand is low.

Now, the Gadawa are full, and so are the worries.

In some villages, onion prices have crashed hard. Just a few days ago, I bought over half a 50kg cement bag - more than four big “kwano” - for only ₦500 in Kibiya. The same would sell for ₦1,000 each in Kano city just a while back.

That’s farming for you - one season smiles, the next tests your patience. 🌾




By Misbahu El-Hamza, September 30, 2025

https://www.facebook.com/100000657245497...l/?app=fbl

That’s the problem with seasonal farming. Everyone plants at the same time and harvests together. We need better coordination or cold storage.

High supply, low demand — classic case of market glut. Farmers should start thinking about small-scale onion processing, like drying or grinding.

₦500 for half a 50kg bag?? That’s painful. Imagine how much the farmers spent on fertilizer and transport. Pure loss 😞.

The government or cooperatives should help link farmers directly to buyers in the south. I’m sure prices in Lagos or Port Harcourt are higher.

I think the next big thing is onion powder. Once farmers start processing into powder, no more spoilage.

This is a reminder that farming is business. Don’t just plant because everyone else is planting.

This is a good place to buy from and process.

I think if farmers form WhatsApp groups by region, they can share real-time market prices and reduce losses. Time for middle men to cashout.