The Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) has apprehended 17 hawkers for using vulgar words while advertising traditional medicines in Kano metropolis.
The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abba Dalha, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Kano.
Dalha said that seven of the arrested vendors were advertising traditional medicines using microphones mounted on vehicles while the 10 others were advertising using wheelbarrows.
“In order to sanitise the traditional medicine industry in the state, PHIMA set up a taskforce.
“The taskforce’s terms of reference included liberating Kano people from the menace of rampant hawking of traditional medicines using vulgar words.
“The hawkers were arrested at Gyadi-gyadi, Court road, Yan-kaba Bus stop, Janguza Market, Kofar-ruwa, Katsina Road and Yan-kura and Bata,” Dalha said.
He said that the arrested vendors would be sanctioned accordingly and called for public support to enable the agency achieve its objectives.
In another development, farmers in Tudun Wada in Kano State have expressed joy at the release of the new pod borer resistant cowpea, saying it makes farming less expensive compared with the local varieties.
The farmers spoke their finds at the sideline of the Brown Field Day for the demonstration plot of the improved cowpea variety (SAMPEA-20-T), with resistance pob borer insect Maruca Varata.
Malam Khalid Salihu, one of the farmers said he was happy with the outcome of the new improved variety, pointing out that it is cost effective as it resist insects that destroys the beans.
He said that he spends less planting PBR Cowpea compared to planting the local variety.
Salihu said in a hectare of beans, he saves over N20, 000 as he only spray the beans twice unlike the other variety that he sprays up to eight times.
“I am happy with this new bean. It matures early more than the local varieties. In 56-70 days one can harvest, unlike the local cowpeas that will stay till 90 days. I spend less money on buying chemicals to control Pod Borer insect because the GM beans resists the insect,“ he said.
In terms of the pod, Salihu said they are the same, but the PBR cowpea produces a slightly bigger seed compared to the conventional variety.
Malam Usman Bako, another farmer said all the farmers in the area are waiting for the GM beans as it reduces stress and yields better unlike the local varieties that are easily destroyed by pod borer insect.
“I will appeal to farmers to key into it and ensure that as soon as the variety is available they should get it to plant. What I saw today is making me happy because I know that after we plant this next year we can smile to the bank because we would have save more money for ourselves and better yields to sell,” he said.
Dr. Ijeoma Akaogu of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) said they are committed to transforming the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through the use of appropriate agricultural technologies that deliver results.
She said that cowpea is a food security crop and highly nutritive, adding that Nigeria is the largest producer of cowpea in Africa but its production and productivity is restricted by several constraints.
According to her, the legume pod borer insect (Maruca virtas) is a serious enemy of cowpea farmers because it can cause up to 80 per cent yield loss.
