NANFeatures/Vol.11/No.86/2017 (June 6)
Toad trade: A budding venture for fish sellers
By Rabiu Sani, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
The sky was bright and the intense heat, a typical temperature of the area, rose above 30 degree Celsius.
Hundreds of traders trooped to the weekly Sunday market in Hadejia town, headquarters of Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa.
Hadejia is one of the major grain and fish trading centre in the north where various species of fish such as fresh and dried ones are transported to other parts of the country.
The area also has a high population of fishermen due to the abundance of fish and other aquatic species at the Hadejia River.
One of the striking features of the market is the trade on toads which attracts buyers from across the country.
Toad sellers are making brisk businesses due to the growing demand of the small aquatic animal.
Toad is an amphibian animal with a drier and less smooth skin that lives on land but breeds in water. It is a frog family with long back legs for jumping.
Although it is not on the popular menu in the north, it is in high demand in some communities in central and southern parts of the country.
The significant increase in the demand for the animals witnessed in recent times and lucrative nature of the trade resulted in hiking in prices as well as proliferation in the number of traders and toad hunters.
A big stick, which contains about 20 toads is sold for N1, 000 and a small size-stick with 10 toads; N450.
The Jigawa Government had, in 2000, introduced commercial toad farming but the programme was abandoned by the successive administration.
The programme was designed to accelerate toad production for export, provided job opportunities and boost state’s revenue base.
Hadejia was selected as a pilot producing area due to the abundance of fish, toads and other aquatic species found in Hadejia River.
Sequel to the abandonment of toads farming programme by successive administrations, hunters and fishermen relied on traditional methods to catch toads at available ponds along the river.
Malam Aliyu Sule, a toad dealer, said he was making good sales due to the rise in the demand of toads.
Sule explained that the demand had exceeded the supply, adding that the animals were very rare in the dry season.
“Toad trade is good; it attracted many people due to its lucrative nature; buyers are coming to the market from other states to buy but they prefer dried toads, although some buy fresh ones,” he said.
According to him, traders at the market transport thousands of sticks of toads to other parts of the country on weekly basis.
Another trader, Mr Steve Yang, said that he used to come to the market from Plateau to buy toads, observing that it was in high demand in his area due to its good taste and low price.
“I bought about 500 sticks of toads and make about N50, 000 gains from the sales,’’ he said.
Miss Phoebe John, Gabriel Tondo and Sam Akiboh, who corroborated earlier opinion, added that they made good savings from toad’s trade.
Phoebe noted that toads are becoming popular in view of the growing number of consumers, who eat toads on daily basis in the country.
She said that the gains she recorded from toad trade in the past one year were higher than what she earned in the previous years.
“Toads are cooked and eaten as food. People like to eat toad due to its good taste,’’ she said.
A toad hunter, Malam Zakari Hadi, said that he was making between N2, 000 and N3, 000 from the sales of toads to meet his basic financial needs.
Hadi said that he used nets to trap and catch the toads, adding that the animals were available at ponds in the area.
“Toads are of different species including those that are poisonous and those that are edible.
“Toad catching is synonymous with hunting wild animals in which the hunter relies on luck to make his catch unlike in normal setting by which toads are hatched and bred in a specialised way for commercial purposes,’’ he said.
Hadi suggested for the review of toads farming programme to encourage production in the state.
Also, Malam Tanimu Isa, another toad hunter, observed that toad hunting was hectic because it required special skills to enable one to identify the type of toad to catch.
“We catch toads in waters and sometimes we dig them out from the mud on the river bank; the toads are arranged on a stick and spread in the open for days to dry.
“Many youths now go into toad hunting. You do not need huge money or heavy tools to catch toads,’’ he said.
However, Alhaji Shuaibu Haruna, the Chairman, Fish Sellers Association in the state, attributed the rise in the demand of toads to a significant decrease in the supply of fish to the market due to low harvest.
Haruna noted that the trend resulted in the hike in fish prices in the past months.
“There is a significant decrease in fish harvest occasioned by the ravaging aquatic grass which ravaged Hadejia River.
“Lack of modern fishing equipment also resulted in low supply, hence the rise in the demand for toads,’’ he said.
Shuaibu argued that fishermen relied on traditional fishing tools which resulted in a drastic drop in supply, adding that the trend pushed prices up.
“Many people dropped fish out of their shopping menu due to exorbitant prices and preferred toads which are cheaper,’’ he observed.
According to him, a measure of fresh fish is sold at N5, 000 as against its old price of N2, 000 in the past two years.
“A big size carton of dried fish is sold at N50, 000 and small size carton costs N18, 000 as against previous prices of N25, 000 and N8, 000, respectively,’’ he said.
Another trader, Usman Babangida, attributed the scarcity to the loss being recorded by fishermen at harvest.
Babangida explained that substantial amount of fish wilted due to lack of storage facilities, as it could be not preserved in hot weather condition.
The trader noted that unlike fish which require rigorous processes, toads could be preserved for a longer period of time using simple methods.
“There is a lack of modern preservation facilities and, in most cases; both fish and toads are dried to avoid loss,’’ he said.
Babangida called for the provision of modern processing and preservation equipment to encourage production of hygienic fishery products.
He stressed the need for expansion of the state government’s agriculture development programme to include fisheries to accelerate fishery activities.
However, a dietician, Mr Sharif Nazir, advised consumers to be wary of indiscriminate eating of toads to avoid poisoning.
Nazir also cautioned traders against improper application of chemicals to preserve aquatic animals, adding that the trend was harmful and posed a serious threat to public health.
“Toads are rich in nutrients and taste good, but it must be eaten with care to avoid poisoning,’’ he warned.
On its part, the Hadejia Local Government Area has constructed a modern market to promote trade and encourage the growth of fishery activities in the area.
Alhaji Abba Aji, an official of the council, disclosed that the market designed was with 34 shops, 52 stalls, stores, police out-post, water facilities, power generator, roads and drains.
Aji explained that the project was executed in collaboration between and the state’s Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank.
“The shops were allocated to fish traders and they will soon relocate to the new market, the gesture will boost trade and improve the wellbeing of traders,’’ he said.
Aji reiterated government’s commitment to providing infrastructure such as access road and drains to control perennial flood at the old fish market.
All the same, Hadi, the toad hunter, believed that reintroduction of toad farming programme would accelerate production, provide job opportunities, enhance wealth creation, boost state’s revenue base and assist in the attainment of food security programme.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)