Prices of perishable items in some major towns in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states have recorded a fall.
At Damaturu market in Yobe, a big basket of tomatoes sold at N120, 000 about four months ago now cost N40, 000 while a small basket previously sold at N75, 000 now attract N18, 000.
A bag of pepper now sold at N82, 000 as against N170, 000 same period last year while a bag of pepper goes for N70, 000 as against N75, 000 sold in July and a bag of Okro which was sold at N50, 000 same period last year is now N25, 000.
But, due to its scarcity, prices of onions have increased as a bag of the item which cost between N28, 000 and N30, 000 three to four months ago, now rose to N50,000.
Muazu Abbas, Chairman of the market, attributed the drop to the arrival of new items in the market.
“Prices of perishable items usually drop whenever harvests are made and new goods arrive in the market, but the prices rise when there is a shortage of goods,” he said.
In the same vein, the price of yam has skyrocketed at Bayan Tasha Market in the metropolis.
In 2023, two small tubers of yam sold at N1,500 now cost N4,000, while three big tubers goes for N15,000 against N3,500 within the period.
Habibu Mohammed, Yam Sellers Leader in the market, attributed the sharp rise to hike in transporting the items to the market from Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states.
On his part, the Yobe state chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Usman Ngari blamed the high cost to lack of establishing food crop storage facilities.
“Storage facilities preserve crops and increase profit, especially in the cultivation of perishable items.
“Unfortunately, establishing such factories is capital intensive and most of us do not have that kind of money,” he said.
Ngari called on the government at all levels to support farmers with capital to acquire storage facilities to boost their productivity and income levels.
Traders in Borno said they are still looking forward to more fall in prices in a few months when farmers will start harvesting tomatoes and other perishables in the state.
Isa Mohammed, a dealer in Maiduguri vegetable market said “The supplies we are getting now are from Kaduna and Kano”.
Mustapha Usman, a grain dealer said the prices of grains produced in Borno like local rice, beans, maize, and millet have continued to remain high and could only come down when harvest commenced in October.
And in Adamawa, prices of grains have continued to remain high while there was a fall in prices of perishables due to harvest.
Aliyu Mohammed, Chairman of the Adamawa Chapter of the Nigeria Small Scale Industrialists, noted that a bag of 100kg of maize that used to sell for N60, 000 in 2023 same period is now N90, 000.
“That of white bean that sold for N75,000 is now N160,000”
“We just have to wait and what will happen when the harvest commences in a few weeks,” he said.
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