Vegetable Prices Soar 70% In Kano Ahead Eid-El-Kabir — Survey

Prices of vegetables have risen sharply by about 70 percent in Kano markets, with less than a week to the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Yankaba vegetable markets yesterday showed that the affected perishables include bell pepper, onion, hot pepper, tomato and pumpkin.

The survey found that the increase which began about a month ago has peaked due to limited farm supply and high transportation costs.

Abdulrazak Sani, a vegetable dealer, told NAN that prices of tomatoes, bell peppers, hot pepper and onions had risen significantly over the past month.

He said a big basket of tomatoes now sells for N22,000, up from N13,000, while a small basket goes for N13,000, compared with N6,000 previously.

Sani added that a big bag of bell pepper now costs N80,000, double the previous price of N40,000.

According to him, a big bag of hot pepper, popularly known as “attarugu”, rises to N100,000 from the previous price of N60,000.

The survey further showed that a big bag of onions now sells between N45,000 and N50,000, up from N35,000, while a small bag is priced at N28,000 compared with N23,000 previously.

Another trader, Abubakar Musa, attributed the price hike to the end of the vegetable cultivation season, which had drastically reduced supply to markets.

He explained that the limited supply of produce, particularly tomatoes and peppers, had caused a sharp rise in prices.

Musa also cited high transportation costs as another factor driving the increase, as with other items.

A customer, Amina Haruna, lamented the rising prices and expressed fears that they could affect household spending during the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir festivities.

Another customer, Sani Gezawa, also lamented that tomatoes and peppers essentials for most households had been the most affected by the surge.

He said the increase was putting additional pressure on household budgets, especially for families preparing for Eid-el-Kabir.