Cow dung sellers are making brisk businesses in Gombe State due to the high demand of the commodity occasioned by the hike in fertiliser prices as the cropping season set in.
A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Gombe Central Abbattoire on Monday showed that prices of cow dung had shot up by about 100 per cent since the commencement of the rainy season in the past few weeks.
NAN reports that farmers within and outside the state trooped to the abattoir in search of animal dung to be used as manure for their farmlands.
Also, there had been significant increase of digging activities around waste dump sites in Gombe and its environs, to extract sands which were being sold to farmers to nourish their farms.
A 100 kilogramme bag of cow dung was sold at N2,000 as against its old price of N1,000 before the rainy season.
While a 50 kg bag of fertiliser was sold between N18,000 and N25,000 depending on its quality as against N10,000 it sold during the previous cropping season.
Traders at the abbattoire attributed the hike in prices to increased patronage of cow dung by peasant farmers as most of them could not afford the exorbitant fertiliser prices in the markets.
Malam Danasabe Audu, Chairman, Animal Dung Producers Association, Gombe Central Abattoire, said the demand for the animal dung was “overwhelming” against low supply.
He said that about 50 and 70 bags of dung were being transported daily from the abbattoire to farmlands within and outside the state.
“We supply cow dung to various parts of the country, specifically to Saminaka in Kaduna State and Jos in Plateau, among others.
“Prices of the commodity doubled in view of the increase in demand. A bag of dung was sold at N2,000 as against N1,000 in the past.
“Due to the high demand more youths have engaged in refining, packaging and loading of dung for the customers.
“Over 30 youths are earning daily from the animal dung processing,” he said.
Also; Mr Abdulhamid Mohammed, General Secretary, National Butchers’ Union, Gombe State chapter described cow dung business as “lucrative,” adding that many people had ventured into the trade.
He said that buyers of dung and other animal byproducts like bones, horns and blood patronise the abbattoire from other parts of country.
The Secretary who expressed joy over the good market condition, said the trend created more jobs for the youths, adding that animal dung provided alternative soil nutrients for higher yields to achieve food security in the country.
For his part, Malam Usman Abdullahi, a dung dealer, said that he bought a 100 kilogramme bag of cow dung at N2,000, adding that he was supplying it to Kaduna State where the price would be much higher.
“Exorbitant prices of fertiliser at the markets made farmers to seek for alternative animal dung to be used as manure in their farmlands.
“Presently; the demand is higher because many farmers realise that manure is safer, better and more enriching to the soil,” he said.
A labourer in the animal dung processing, Adamu Kulani, 22, said that he earned about N2, 000 daily, adding that, “it help me contribute to my household wellbeing”.
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