The 2023 Alaghodaro Summit which began on Wednesday, 8 November, continued on Saturday, 11 November 2023 with the Alaghodaro Food Fair (The Edo Market).
The fair, which was held at the Garrick Memorial School Ground, Ekehuan Road, Benin City, witnessed a large turnout of persons (sellers and buyers). Farmers from various communities across the 18 local government areas of Edo State displayed their farm produce at discounted rates for people to buy. Food produce available ranged from cassava to garri, plantain, banana, cocoa, coconut, okro, palm oil, groundnut oil, yam, pineapples, catfish, bags of rice, goats, pigs, live and frozen chicken, snail, etc.
Speaking at the fair, Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Stephen Idehenre, showered encomiums on Governor Godwin Obaseki for boosting the state’s agricultural sector and attracting industries to the state.
“For instance, Dufil, a major consumer of cassava starch, has come to establish 600 metric tons-per-day cassava factory in Odighi; that means that he is taking all the major cassava excess from our farmers,” Idehenre said.
The Chairman, Small Scale Palm Oil Millers and Palm Kernel Crackers Association (SSPOMA), Edo State, Mr Patrick Ogiesoba, commended the organizers of the food fair and described it as a welcome development.
“It is a welcome development in the sense that it showcases our foodstuffs. Those in the agricultural value chain come here to display their goods; we come to tell the world that we have these natural oil and those who want to reach out to us have the opportunity to do that,” Ogiesoba said.
Director of Agriculture, Orhiomwon Local Government Area, Mrs Peace Awaritoma, commended Governor Obaseki and the organizers of the food fair which she described as first of is kind.
“This is the largest fair in Edo State and Orhiomwon has come with bumper harvest. I want to tell you that Orhiomwon is the food basket of the state if not the nation at large,” she said.
The Chairman, Lentus Foods and Agro Limited, Mr Isima Udoh, also commended the state governor.
Describing the Alaghodaro Food Fair as a good development, Udoh said it gave opportunity to farmers to showcase what they have and produce locally in Edo State. He said Edo State is endowed with many crops and advocated that the food fair be held monthly so as to bring farmers across the state together to showcase the natural food endowment of the state.
Also, residents who came to purchase various food items were full of excitement and showered praises on the governor and the organizers of the food fair. Some of the buyers who spoke to The Nigerian Observer, including Mrs Bola Kunle, Mrs Comfort Ogie, Sarah Akugbe, Evelyn Ekhator and Ngozi Ekene, expressed joy as prices of food items were relatively cheap at the food fair compared to their market prices.
They gave some of the foodstuffs they bought and the prices. For instance, 15.5kg of yam was sold at N6,000, 5kg bag of local rice was sold at N5,000, 4 litres of palm oil N4,000, a bunch of plantain N2,000, a pack of dry catfish N1,300, 4 litres of Okomu oil N5,000, a rubber of crayfish N3,000, and different sizes of pineapples were sold between N500 and N800.
There was also a heavy presence of security as men of the Nigerian Police, NSCDC, Edo State Security Network, PUWOV, EDSTMA, Federal Fire Service and medical team were on ground to maintain law and order.
