Traders, consumers lament as prices of foodstuffs soar in South East

Barely six weeks to the yuletide, prices of some foodstuffs, particularly rice, gari, palm oil and crayfish have soared in major markets in the South East, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN correspondents, who conducted market surveys in the zone report that the prices of foodstuffs have increased significantly between September and November, 2022.

In Enugu State, NAN reports that a 50kg of local rice now goes for between N34,000 and N42,000 as against between N24,000 and N36,000 sold in October while 50kg of foreign rice goes for N54,000 as against N37,000 sold a month ago.

A visit to some markets in the state capital showed that a 4.5 liter paint bucket of local rice sold for N2, 600 in September now goes for between N2, 800 and N3, 500.

A rice dealer at Ogbete Market, Mrs Onyinye Emejue, said that the price of rice had remained high for some time, blaming it on the high cost of transportation and other farm inputs involved in rice farming.

“I am a rice farmer, it cost me so much in cultivating, harvesting and processing as well as the transportation fare from Awgu to Enugu town,” she said.

Mrs Chinwe Okoh, a palm oil seller at New Market, told NAN that the cost of transportation and off-season of most agricultural produce had been the reason for high cost of most foodstuffs in the city,

According to her, the price of palm oil is gradually rising due to its off-season period that usually take place toward the end of the year.

She said that a five litres of gallon now goes for N6,000 as against, N3,250 in September while 70cl bottle of the product now goes for between N900 and N1,000 as against N650.

At the New Market, Mr Uche Ogbodo, a crayfish dealer, said the price of crafish had soared compared to what it was some months back, blaming the high cost of the product to the flood that ravaged most of the areas that produced it.

Mrs Helen Obi, another crayfish seller at Kenyatta Market, said that a painter of crayfish now sold for N3,800 as against N2,800.

She added that a bag of crayfish goes for N98,000 as against N85,000 in September.

Mrs Joy Aku, a dealer in vegetable oil at Garki Market said that the five litres of the product had increased from N7,000 to N8,500, while the 20 litres goes for between N28,500 and N32,000 depending on its brand.

Mrs Rose Onyeabor, an onion seller at the New Garki Market, said that a bag of onions is sold at N52,000 as against N48,500.

Meanwhile, an ice fish seller at Ogbete main market, Mrs Regina Odo, said the inflation was worse in fish sector making it difficult for people to balance their diet.

She said that ice fish, which people believed was meant for both the rich and the poor was now considered luxury.

Odo said that one fish was sold between N800 and N2500 depending on the size.

She wondered how the low income earners and the poor survived in this present economic difficulty which she added was not improving any time soon. 

In Imo, it is a similar situation as prices of many food items including rice, tomatoes, Onions and yams have remained high in most markets in Owerri, amidst the increased price of petrol.

NAN reports that at the Relief Market, Eke Onunwa and New Markets, the price of rice, both Nigerian and foreign brands have remained high since late September.

A 50 kilogram bag of foreign rice is currently sold between N50,000 and N53,000 depending on the brand and N45,000 for locally grown rice.

A 25kg bag of foreign rice is sold at N27,000 while local rice is sold from N24,000 in October to N35,000 for 50kg.

Small buckets of foreign rice popularly known as “painter” now sells from N3,800 to as much as N4,000 while a cup is sold from N250 also depending on the brand.

Tomatoes and Onions have also maintained the prices they sold for in October with a small basket of onions increasing from N3000  to N3500.

Fresh tomatoes still goes for N3,000 for a small bucket popularly known as “custard ” while quantities previously sold for N700 now goes for N1500.

Mr Idris Lawal, who sells both commodities and local spices, told the NAN that the increased cost was as a result of heavy flooding which damaged farms and other property.

He added that the violence following the activities of bandits caused a hike in the cost of buying from farmers and  transporting the goods from the north.

The price of large yam tubers also increased with tubers which were sold at N1,200 now going for N2000 while smaller tubers are now sold from N1000 to N1,200.

A yam seller, Reginald Umam, blamed the high cost on floods and increased cost of transportation.

According to Mrs Bernadette Nwachukwu, a bag of garri is sold at N22,000 while bucket of yellow Garri which was previously sold at N700 now sells for N1,100 naira while white garri is sold at N900.

Price of crayfish also slightly increased with a big bag now selling for N95,000, half a bag at N49,000  and a quarter bag going for N24,500.

The prices of goods and services have soared in major markets across the state, ahead of Christmas celebration.

In Ebonyi, residents of the state however, decried the continued rise in the price of foodstuffs in the market.

A market survey conducted at the Kpirikpiri, Margaret Umahi International markets and Abakaliki Rice Mill, revealed that prices of food items had increased when compared to the prices a few months back.

The survey showed that the hike was caused by inflation and currently, the high cost of fuel.

Mrs Grace Anikwe, a customer at the mill, said she bought a 25kg bag of rice for N20,000 as against between N14, 500 and NI7, 500, sold in October depending on the brand.

Another buyer, Mr Daniel Maduabuchi, attributed the price fluctuation to high demand and inflation. 

He added that some traders were taking advantage of the development to extort and subject people to hardship. 

Mrs Christian Nweke, a Customer, also expressed concern that a painter of garri which was sold between N700 and N900 in September, now goes for about N1, 100 and N1, 250, depending on the brand. 

Nweke said a basin of white garri sells between N10, 000 and N11, 500, while the yellow one is sold for N12,500 and N13,500 respectively.

 Mrs Angelina Eze, a Garri Dealer at the Kpirikpiri market, when visited, said she also bought the product at high cost. 

Eze however, said that there was improvement, regarding to sales. 

She claimed that other traders, bought from her to sell between N1, 300 and N 1, 500 and blamed the development to inflation and low productivity of the product. 

She called for support of more farmers with government intervention to some communities to boost food production. 

Miss Ogechi Nweke, a meat seller, said a kilo of beef, sells for between N3,000 and N3, 500 as against N2, 800 sold in October.

Nweke attributed the development to fuel hike, which increased transportation of animal from N15, 000 to N30, 000 each. 

“We used to buy live cow between N450, 000 and N 500, 000. But currently, we buy for N560, 000 and transport each animal for N30, 000. It is not our fault,” Nweke said. 

She encouraged governments to control the hikes and pay proper attention to plights of its poor citizens. 

Mr Hassan Abah, an Onion seller in Ogbe hausa mini market, said that the prices of perishable goods would later crash after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Abah said a big bag of onion sells for N65, 000 against N45, 000 in September and a small bucket for N6, 000 as against N3, 000.

He said a basket of tomatoes sold between N23, 000 and N28, 000 depending on the brand.

In Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra, traders have continued to lament and blamed the current low sales on the rising cost of food items as Christmas celebrations draw near. 

A visit to Ose-Okwuodu and Relief market shows that prices of food stuffs have increased significantly compared to some months back.

A trader in Ose-Okwuodu market in Onitsha, Mrs Ngozi Chidi, blamed the current food items hike on the flood situation experienced in some part of the country.

According to her, as soon as the flood situation commenced, prices for food items started going up, and now the yuletide is just around the corner.

“A bag of iron brown beans of 30 painters, that was sold for N58, 000 now sells for N60, 000. This situation has now subjected us to low sales.

“The indomie noodles that was formerly N3, 350 and N5,500 moved to N4000 and N6,500 due to the high cost of transportation occasioned by the fuel scarcity,” she said.

Another trader who deals in rice and spices  at the same market, Mrs Christy Chiemerie, revealed that 50 kilograms bag of local rice used to be N28,000 but is now N45,000 and N48, 000 respectively. 

Chiemerie noted that carton of maggi/knorr cubes that was formerly sold for N11,000 is now N12,000.

Mrs Peace Awurika, who sells salt at the popular Relief market in Onitsha, also lamented poor sales, saying that bag of salts had jumped from N3,500 to N4,000.

In Abia, traders blame rising food prices on high cost of transportation and the exchange rate.

Speaking with NAN at the popular Orie Ugba Market in Umuahia, a trader, Onyebuchi Okiyi said that it had not been easy for everyone irrespective of one’s status.

He said: “I used to buy between 15 and 20 bags of rice, but now I can only manage to buy 10 bags, because a 50kg bag of made in Nigeria rice is now sold between N40,000 and N42,000 as against 28,000 and N30,000 sold about two months ago, while the foreign one is N50,000.

“A bag of 100kg garri now sells for 39,500 -N40,000 while it was sold between N32,000 to N35,000 about two months ago.

“I just don’t understand where we are going in this country, where dollar continues to rise against naira because I know that by December the prices definitely will increase.”

Another trader at the market, Mrs Uchechi Nwokolo told NAN that the biting inflation may have been affected by the high exchange rate and high cost of transportation.

“For instance, a 25-litre vegetable oil is N32,000 and N33,000, whereas it was sold between N20,000 – N25,000 in July; 5-litre is sold between N7,000 and N8,000, against N5,000 that it was sold in the same month.

“A carton of sachet tomato paste is between N3900 and N4000, while it was sold between N3000 and N3500 about two months ago.

Mrs Ngozi Kanu, a fresh tomato seller, said that a basket of tomato which was sold for N25,000 as at October is now sold for N30,000, while a 4.5litre bucket of tomato is sold at N2,500.

Kanu said that the high cost of transportation due to the increase in fuel pump price was a major reason for the increase in the price of tomato.

According to her, it has doubled the amount spent in transporting the commodity from the North to the Southeast.

Also, Mrs Obiageli Nduka, a pepper seller, said that the high cost had become difficult to make good profit from the business of selling pepper because of the low rate of sales recorded as a result of its high cost and its perishable nature.

She said that a bag of 50kg of pepper was sold at N25,000 as against N20,000 which it was sold as at October.

Mr Ezenwa Nwabuisi, an onion seller, said that a bag of onion was sold between N53,000 and N56,000, but as at last week one could buy a bag of onions for N48,000.

Nwabuisi described the development as unfortunate, adding that the price of onions would likely increase before the Yuletide.

A food seller, Miss Esther Job, said that the high prices of foodstuffs had made it difficult for one to make good returns on investment.

“As at July a bag of Nigerian rice was sold between N25,000 and N28,000, but now it goes for between N39,000 and N42,000 depending on the type you are buying.

“The price of a bag of beans and a cup of beans have remained at N56,000 and N150 respectively.

“The cost of running my business is becoming increasingly difficult as customers are finding it hard to adapt to the high cost of foodstuffs due to the economic crunch,” Job added.

She called on the Federal Government to evolve programme and policies that would address the economic problems facing the nation in order to make the economy stable. (NAN)