Residents in Kano State are lamenting the surge in prices of vegetables across the state.
It was also learnt that other essential commodities that are usually accessible during the eid, are now on the high side in the state.
A civil servant and father of five, Malam Idris Bako, said it is unusual for essential commodities, especially vegetables, to be as expensive as they are currently as the Eid el-Kabir approaches.
He explained that for the fact that the season is for sacrifices, vegetables are usually cheap because people are more concerned with meat than with the vegetables.
‘It is apparent that livestock is out of this year’s civil servants budget, because they are untouchable due to high prices. Unfortunately, we have resolved to have good food and wait for next year, but the situation currently has placed a huge burden on us.
‘The vegetables we are preparing to buy for the Sallah are gradually going out of our reach. Imagine, a basket of tomatoes selling at N35,000 now, something that was sold at N12,000 last week,’ he lamented.
Another resident of Ja’oji quarters, Malama Halima Bello, said in her over three decades of existence, she had never experienced a harsh situation like that of this year.
She explained that people have zeroed their minds not to conduct the Sallah sacrifices due to the high cost of livestock.
She added that it is clear that many households cannot afford to cook even a good stew to enjoy the season, because the cost of vegetables has gone up in the state.
‘It is apparent that apart from the rising prices of livestock currently being experienced in Kano and many other places across Nigeria, many people cannot afford the sacrifice this year and it is sad that the price of vegetables has also gone high.
‘A basket of attarudu is now selling at N40,000 as against N25,000 sold last week. It is getting very difficult for households now to really plan for the Sallah festival. I have never experienced this type of hardship,’ she said.
A visit to Yan Kaba vegetable market revealed that there was moderate supply of perishable goods in the market, but with fewer buyers.
It was observed that a basket of tomato sold at N11,000 to N13,000 last week is now selling at N28,000 to N35,000, while a basket of pepper was sold at about N43,000.
A tomato seller at the market, Mansur Simon, attributed the rise in prices of vegetables to increase in demand.
He opined that this year’s rise isn’t exceptional and claimed that it has been the tradition due to high demand created by the festival season.
Prices of vegetables up in Taraba
Also, the situation is not different in Taraba, where prices of vegetables have equally skyrocketed.
Daily Trust’s visit to Jalingo main vegetable market revealed that the prices of pepper, onion, hot pepper, tomatoes, carrots and cabbages have tripled their prices a couple of weeks ago.
Findings revealed that a big basket of fresh tomatoes that was sold two months ago at N8000 is sold at between N35,000 and N40,000 now.
Similarly, a 100kg bag of fresh pepper which was sold at N35,000 is now sold at N110,000.
Findings further showed that 100kg bag of hot pepper (attarugu) that was sold at N40,000 is now N130,000, while the same bag of Ethiopian hot pepper, which is produced only in Mayorenewo and Gembu towns in Taraba State, is sold at between N160,000 and N170,000 as against N50,000 it was sold a few months ago.
A 100kg bag of dried pepper that was sold at N150,000 a few weeks ago is now sold at N180,000, while a 100kg bag of onion sold at N40,000 is now sold at N65,000.
A vegetable dealer in the market, Muhammed Tukur, told Daily Trust that areas where they used to get supply of vegetables now have no supply.
He said their major source of supply was Gombe, Bauchi, Zaria and Yobe states but that they don’t have supply from them at the moment, adding that vegetables planted for the wet season will take time to be harvested.
Soup ingredients soar in Jigawa Market
In Jigawa State, Shuwarin Market food stuff and Soup ingrediant have skyrocketed.
Isah Akilu, a Tomatoes and papper sallah said the prices have doubled compared to previous weeks.
According to Akilu, Price of Pepper Chilli par bag is N125, 000, the small Pepper (Atta ruhu) sold at the rate of N150,000, Tomatoes is sold at N30,000 and N40, 000 a basket while a bag of Onions is sold at N25, 000.
Isah said most of the people that visited the Shuwarin Market had been complaining as a result of high cost of the commodity.
…Situation similar in Kwara
In Kwara State, market surveys conducted in Ilorin revealed a sharp increase in the price of tomatoes, with rates rising by 10 percent or more compared to prices recorded just two weeks ago.
Findings showed that the price of a basket of tomatoes now ranges between N18,000, N22,000, N50,000, and N70,000, depending on the size and quality of the produce.
A trader, popularly known as Iya Aisha Alata, told Daily Trust that the basket now selling for N50,000 was sold for N40,000 just last week, marking a notable surge within a short period.
Nice Oladuni, a housewife, said the small basket she bought for N2,500 at Mandate Market last week had doubled to N5,000 by Sunday, reflecting the growing strain on household budgets.
There were varying opinions on what might be responsible for the spike in prices. While some believe it is due to the approaching Sallah festivities, others pointed to the recent flooding in Niger State, which disrupted transportation and supply chains.
Iya Aisha expressed optimism that the prices might begin to stabilize after the Sallah celebration.
According to her, the current market volatility is partly seasonal and tied to festivities.
‘The Hausa tomato supply is gradually phasing out, and we are now selling produce sourced from the South-West,’ she said, adding, ‘This transition in supply sources is also contributing to the price variation.’
Tomato growers explain increase in perishables
Commenting on the hike in price of tomato and other perishables, Kano state chapter Chairman of National Tomato Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) Alhaji Sani Yadakwari said most of the commodities are seasonal and their current season is over in most producing areas across the country hence the scarcity.
He added that usually every year the country experiences such a situation and as such it is not something to panic about.
According to him, it will soon be over as the wet season products will soon set in.
‘It is a normal phenomenon that every year such scarcity usually occurs, because we lack effective preservation methods. That is why whenever, the season is over, the nation encounters scarcity and high pricing of many perishables. However, we are approaching the wet-season and soon the wet-season produce will start coming. Only then we will experience a reduction in the price,’ he revealed.
It was also gathered that the whole North now rely on tomato and other perishables produced in some parts of Zaria in Kaduna state, some parts of Katsina state, some parts of Cross River state and also from some parts of Benue state.
Solution lies in effective preservation – Expert
A Kano based agriculture economist, Lawan Adam said the only measure to be taken is the adoption of effective preservation mechanisms that will allow farmers and marketers of perishables to adopt simple measures of preserving their produce during the glut period.
He further explained that farmers have been suffering from post-harvest losses for long, saying it is the goodwill of farming that kept them going.
He also warned that the issue may over power the farmers and they may decide otherwise.
Daily Trust reports that every year farmers of perishables especially tomatoes experience in addition to low patronage.
Findings showed that the only simple measures they adopted in term of preservation, is the drying method which experts describe as obsolete and unhygienic.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).
