Food Prices Surge, Traders Decry Low Patronage, Consumers Seek FG’s Intervention

Prices of various food items have surged in different markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey reveals.

The development has caused a strain on both traders and consumers, as many households say they are now finding it difficult to feed,

Checks by NAN correspondents at various markets in the FCT and environs on Sunday, reports that the astronomical price rise affected all markets including those located at the satellite towns.

NAN reports that both traders and consumers lamented the impact of the hike on their businesses and lifestyle, while calling for urgent government intervention to regulate prices.

At the popular Orange market located at the Abuja-Keffi road referred to as the ‘hub of bulk food market’, a basket of tomatoes which sold between N25,000 and N35,000 in May was during the visit sold between N65,000 and N75,000.

A big bag of onions which sold for between N15,000 to N25,000 in May was now being sold for between N45,000 and N50,000 while a dustbin basket of onions sold for between N2,500 and N3,000 in May was now being sold for between N5,500 and N6,000.

At Wuse market, a small dustbin basket of tomatoes sold for between N5,000 to N7,000 in March was now being sold between N12,000 and N15,000.

A dustbin basket of pepper which sold for N10,000 in March now went for N17,000 while the same measure of tatashe was now being sold for between N20,000 and N22,000 as against N15,000 sold in March.

A big sized tuber of yam was now being sold at Wuse market for N8,000 each, while a small sized one now went for N4,500.

At Utako market, a dustbin basket of sweet potatoes formally sold between N1,500 and N2,000 was now being sold between N3,000 and N4,500.

A dustbin basket of onions at the same market was now being sold for between N6,500 and N7,500 as against N4,000 and N5,000 sold in May.

At Apo fish market, traders decried low patronage due to the price hike.

Mr Idris Ahmed, a vegetable seller at the Apo market said he had cultivated the attitude of selling almost below his coat price just to turn-over and attract more customers.

He lamented that most of his customers now purchased things on credit paying up in two or three installments depending on the amount.

”With the low influx of customers to the market today, one will think that this is not even weekend.

“Some of my co-traders in the market sell a dust bin basket of tomatoes for between N14,000 and N17,000 but I sell for N12,000.

“A dust bin basket of pepper, tatashe and shombo goes for N18,000, N16,000 and N17,000 respectively while sweet potatoes goes for N3000.

“Most of my customers who manage to come to the shop either want the price of the items slashed or want to buy the product on credit and I do not blame them,” he said.

He urged the government to come to the aid of citizens and find a lasting solution to the increasing cost of food items in the market.

At Gwagwalada market, a basket of pepper which sold between N15,000 in May had now increased to N17,000.

Madam Alheri Yohanna, a pepper seller, lamented that the price of a small paint bucket of tomatoes had increased from N4,500 last week to N6,000.

According to her, customers no longer buy in large quantities like before; everything is expensive, and people are managing.

“Sometimes I go home without selling up to N5,000,” she lamented.

Similarly, Hassan Husseini, a trader, said the price of a basket of onions had risen from N4,000 to N7,500.

Husseini said that a basket of Irish potatoes which previously sold for N12,000 was now being sold for N14,000.

A consumer, Rebecca Terve, said the sharp increase in food prices had made it difficult for her to feed her family of five.

Terve appealed to the government to address the factors contributing to the price hike, especially the cost of transportation to help stabilise the market and boost patronage.

A customer and single mother of three children, Ifeoma Atuegwu said that her standard of living was dropping on a daily basis.

Atuegwu, who said she could no longer meet up with the cost of some of the basic required nutrients in her children’s meal like protein, said they had resorted to eating without them.

However, prices of bags of rice had dropped in the markets while the price of bag of garri had remained stable.

A bag of rice at Nyanya, Wuse and Utako markets formerly sold between N80,000 and N87,000 was now being sold between N70,000 and N77,000 depending on the brand.

A rice seller, Raphael Ogodo said the drop in the price of rice would not be unassociated with the intervention on the product by the government.
Ogodo appealed for the same intervention on other food items to help drop their prices. (NAN)