By Raymond Enoch
Few months ago, Nigerians lamented the high cost of food items in the market which led to several policies of government been put in place to bring about the reduction of this prices in order to enable mostly the low income earners afford to feed yet not much yielded.
In a bid to ascertain the current situation regarding the prices of goods in the market, our correspondence visited a popular sub-urban local market, Mile six Sunday market in Jalingo the Taraba State capital, from where he reports that food items and farm products have dropped in prices although traders lament low patronage.
Maize which sold for one Thousand four hundred Naira N1400 few months ago now sells for one thousand Naira (N1000) a measure, Rice is now N2500 as against N4200 two months ago, Cassava flour now N800 as against N1500, Yams now sell for between N5000 to N7000 depending on the sizes as against N12,000 and above which was the prices a few months ago.
Speaking with some traders on these new development, most of them said the drop in prices is as a result of the ongoing harvest of farm produce cultivated during this rain reason.
According to Mrs. Louis Lawrence “When we were buying a bag of maize for N58,000, we sold at N1400, now we buy a bag at N45, 000 that is why we have reduced the price to N1000”.
From Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, a Potatoes Seller, a heap is now N1000 as against N2000 while explaining that they now even have a reasonable heap for as N500 indicating significant drop of prices in the case of potatoes.
Mr Ajiya Abubakar who sells onions said that onion though not in season has also witnessed reduction in prices. According him” the onion we use to sell for N1200 now sells for N1000 even though onions is not in season, onions is harvested around March and April of each year, why we are selling cheap now is because of the low patronage of goods in the market generally.
A Yam seller Mallam Shaibu Abdullahi at the Market said a heap of five tubers of Yams sold at N12, 000 now goes for N7000. He said that the rains have made farmers experience bumper harvest, noting that they also get goods from rural market which allows them to make little profit as prices have gone down but cost of transportation is high owing to increase of fuel pump price.
While traders hail the drop in prices of items, farmers however lament the low prices they are compelled to sell owing to the mass supply in the market.
Vallang Welle, a farmer said that the market prices for farm produce now does not favor him. He said “If I add the cost of farm inputs and the labor I put in on my farm plus the high cost of transportation, this prices we are selling our farm produce, am not making profit and I can tell you that most other farmers too do not make profit, suppose we can store some part of the harvest to reduce the quantity coming into the market now that everyone is harvesting, I think we will sell for better prices and make some profit too”
Speaking with some buyers at the market, they expressed mixed feeling over the drop in prices saying the current hardship has left them with low purchasing power hence the low patronage in the market.
Mrs. Veronica Solomon who said she came to the market to buy Cassava flour which use to sell at N1500 even though it’s now N800, she only bought a little, saying it is still not affordable and expensive given the season of harvest and economic hardship.
Mrs. Happy Martins a consumer who came to shop for her family after receiving her monthly salaries said that the market is still not matching with the size of her income as goods like yams, Rice and other household food needs is still high in the market as compared to usual harvest times where goods are cheaper.
According to Mr. Timothy “Despite the harvest season, this year the prices of Food stuff in the market is still relatively expensive, I came to the market expecting that food stuffs will be cheap by now, but I have been able to buy only a few things, I will return home not satisfied with what I have seen in the market today”.
With various promises and pronouncements from agencies of government on the efforts to regulate food prices hike, support farmers produce at cheaper cost, improve the welfare of workers who are mostly the consumers, it is expected that soon prices of food stuff will be at rates that will allow farmers make profit from farming venture and consumers will also have the means to buy without difficulty.
In Taraba State, upon assumption of office a year ago, the state government in its bid to reduce cost of Food and standard of living embarked on immediate renovation of an existing market with the promise of launching a government market tagged “KEFAS PALLIATIVE MARKET” where wares especially food items will sell at cheaper prices to reduce the hardship been experienced by citizen.
Though the said renovation of the market is completed, it has not commenced commercial activities with no official statement made by the Taraba State government as to when this market will begin, yet citizen have continued to decry hardship.
A drop in the Ray of hope worsened today with the increments of fuel pump prices which has been put above N1,030 at government distribution outlets such as the NNPC filling stations.
