By Zubairu Idris

Mortar and pestle carvers in Katsina State have called for governments support to boost the business and assist in preserving the traditional utensils for future generations.

They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kankia, Katsina State.

The carvers said they had been in the business for decades and were making fortunes out of it, hence the need for government supports.

They argued that such support would assist to improve their livelihoods and enable them to be employers of labour.

Malam Muhammad Sani, a carver in Kankia, said the he had been in the business for decades.

He noted that the business was booming in spite of the modern utensils brought by technology.

According to him, people from cities and big towns usually buy small and medium-sized mortars for grinding of vegetables and other substances.

He added that those in rural areas used big-sized mortars for threshing of maize, guinea corn, millet, and for other uses.

Sani noted also that mortars were in high demand because parents bought them for their daughters going into matrimony.

He said that a small-sized mortar sold for between N3,000 and N4,000; the medium-sized ones sold for N10,000, while the big ones sold N17,000 and more, depending on the tree type from which they were carved.

Sani carves one big mortar daily which he sells to dealers for onward sale in the market place.

“We don’t get any support from government; if we get support, we can improve the business.

“If governments assist, we can even get modern tools to carve more mortars daily,’’ he said.

Another carver, Muhammad Kafin-Dangi, confirmed that both city and rural areas dwellers patronised their service.

Kafin-Dangi also called on the government to support mortar carvers to boost their businesses and become employers of labour.

(NAN)