Palm wine tapping as means of earning a living in Niger
Palm wine is a liquid substance or sap normally extracted from palm tree by the palm wine tappers. It contains some level of alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.
alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.
alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.alcohol and yeast which are very essential to some part of the body. The liquid substance known as palm wine test sweet when fresh compared to when fermentation has occurred and mostly liked by Africans both male and female when it is fresh.
Palm wine serves different purposes in African culture even though customs and culture are very dynamic in nature. That is the more reasons why it’s importance cannot be over-emphasised especially in igbo land. palm wine is a basic requirement for so many people in carrying out their different traditional festival like new yam festivals and also one of the basic requirements in traditional wedding ceremony in igbo land . it has also become a means of earning a living for so many persons.
The high levels of unemployment in Nigeria have led many persons into different kinds of self employment and businesses in order to earn a living. At this point it is important to mention the different kinds of palm wine in existence in the igbo part of Nigeria that is being traded upon by the people to make earning. Its major categories are ‘’nkwu enu and akuru’’. ‘’Nkwu enu ‘’ is extracted by tapping of the palm trunk through drilling a hole and fastening a container for the collection of the sap while the palm tree is still standing on the other hand akuru is extracted by drilling a hole to the trunk fastening containers to it for the purpose of the collection of the sap while the palm tree has being felled down or uprooted, and it is allowed to lay for days before the palm tree is prepared for the palm wine extraction. the palm wine tappers also have association that look after their affairs. the palm wine dealers of two category: the group that buy palm tree from the owners of palm tree, prepare same for the extraction of palm wine depending on the type of palm wine intended to be extracted, whether ‘’nkwu enu or akuru’’.the other group buy from the people who are the actual extractors of the palm wine from the palm tree and sales the same at the market to retailers who buy for restaurant business purposes and also to the final consumers who could not reach the actual extractors.
The category of ‘’nkwu enu’’ is always more costly and expensive compared to akuru,this is due the test of the two and the satisfactions derived by customers. More customers prefer ‘’nkwu enu’’ to ‘’akuru’’, due to it fresh test but the principle of economics which state that when the desirable is not available the available becomes desirable applies here because nkwu enu is seasonal and when it is not available ‘’akuru ‘’ is always the nearest possible option for the consumers. most of the palm wine in igbo land is purely natural expect in some circumstance were other substances are added to make it stronger. it is daily collection activity for palm wine tappers and attendance is at least twice a day to maintain it freshness.
Palm wine tapping is really lucrative but very stressful .due to its lucrative nature ,many people now venture into palm wine tapping and distribution to make earning. also many people now plant palm trees in order to make earning from it either by selling to the palm wine tappers, or by extracting some other palm produce which are also beneficial to the society, like broom, palm fruit for making palm wine and firewood etc. in igbo land it is popular known and addressed as ‘’nkwu ocha.’’
BY UKWA THOMAS OBIDIMMA
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