Nigerian farmers will have the opportunity to sell their fruit and vegetables directly to Shoprite customers on Saturday, 28 November, as part of the mall’s ‘Meet the Farmer’ initiative.
The Shoprite at Adeniran Ogunsanya, in Surulere, Lagos will host a fresh produce supplier from 10:00am – 4:00pm.
A large percentage of the fresh fruit and vegetables sold in Shoprite Nigeria’s 25 stores are sourced locally and by hosting this event which is going to be organised by all Shoprite’s retail outlets across the country will give buyers and the farmers an opportunity to meet in a formal retail setting.
Nwaorisa Chinedu Prosper, owner of AMET Farm Ventures, has been supplying Shoprite for five years. For him the most gratifying part remains the interaction with customers. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to sell directly to customers. This is particularly good for small farmers, as it affords many to save some money by buying directly from the farmers, thereby removing the markups by wholesalers and retailers,” adds Prosper.
Chinyere Abade, spokesperson for CSS Global Integrated Farms another participant in Meet the Farmer, recommended that more growers should participate in initiatives like this because of the invaluable feedback from shoppers, “The customers tell you what’s good about your produce and what’s not, so you have a very clear idea where improvements are needed to attract more customers, boost your sales and stay in business” she added.