Monday 2 May 2016

Workers Day, Tomatoes and Dangote

Happy Worker's day to all my people with jobs and hoping to get jobs. It has been a long weekend to unwind and re-evaluate career choices.
Workers Day also called Labour Day is a globally accepted day to acknowledge the role of the labour force in our development and how they gained their right to proper working conditions, welfare and recognition.

A large number of us are without jobs and bear very bleak prospects of finding any. This day thus takes on extra significance in the face of gross youth unemployment we are witnessing. Those who dare to take the entrepreneurial route are lucky to have something worthwhile doing but please do not forget that your workers welfare is non-negotiable. All over the world we witness that it's different scenarios but our struggle is universal : better jobs, better lives, fairer practices, basic needs in a complex time.
Talking of complex times, the prices of tomato is at an all time right now. The quantities I used to buy for 250 naira now retails for 1500 naira. Tomato traders all over the country are feeling the pinch. My preliminary research shows that massive losses incurred during storage as usual have spiked tomato prices again. Some other reasons I am hearing is that the Dangote tomato processing plant has kicked off production buying large volumes directly from tomato growers in the north thereby creating a scarcity in the open market. My heart jumps with joy as Africa's richest man invests in agriculture but I would send a cautionary note of how big scale industrial agriculture might not be a silver bullet for food security. A diversified agricultural chain where both small and large scale agribusiness can thrive would lend resilience to our food system.

Salute to all workers all over the world, salute to Mr Dangote and salute to everyone striving to create a fairer, Humane and positive world.

KOA

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