“WE don’t tell people about prices of tomatoes and pepper again because they may fluctuate at any time. Sometimes, we sell at a particular price in the morning and by noon or evening, the price changes.”
Disturbed by the development, some experts, and leading lawyer, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, have tasked governments on action to fight hunger and avert looming hunger riots. The average price of 1kg of tomatoes rose by 196.92 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N498.34 in May 2023 to N 1,479.69 in May 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 31.71 per cent from N1,123.41 in April 2024.Furthermore, the average price of 1kg of white Garri rose by 200.12% on a year-on-year basis from N371.42 in May 2023 to N1,114.72 in May 2024, while there was an increase of 30.87% on a month-on-month basis.
Mr Bitrus Dacha, chairman of Muundip Yam Zone, Gidan Dabat in Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State, explained thus: “Yam is very costly because yam availability is at its last lap now and the new ones are not yet out and coupled with the harsh economy. At Federal Old Secretariat Market in Area I, Garki, Abuja, a fruit and vegetable seller, Maria David, recalled how they used to buy and sell tomatoes and pepper before the prices of both commodities hit the roof.
At Kabusa Market in Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, a measurement of a plastic basket goes for N14,000, while pepper with the same measure sells for N15,000. A bag of rice is sold at between N75,000 and N85,000, while yam is sold at N30,000 for 10 tubers of yam. A sack of dried pepper is now sold for N76,000 to N80,000, against its former price of N25,000 in January and February.
She told Vanguard that a basket of tomatoes that used to sell for N70,000 is now N150,000 and a small basket they used to buy from Cameroon for N7,000 now costs N26,000 to N28,000 and before it gets to them in Calabar it will be about N33,000. “So as we go to retail in the market, customers are complaining bitterly, but we are not being wicked. We want to sell and make turnover as quickly as possible because it is from selling we fend for our families.”Arit Mmakamba trades in yams at the same Itam market. She buys from Ogoja in Cross River State. She said the choking prices were induced more by the cost of transportation.