RISING COST OF FOOD ITEMS WORRY TRADERS

Prices of commodities have continued to soar in markets across Enugu capital territory.

A visit to Abakpa Market, Enugu shows that a bag of a Pataskum beans which sold ₦29,000 in December, 2017 is now ₦33,000 and a bag of iron beans which was ₦30,000 now sells for ₦35,000 while a bag of Oloka beans which was until now ₦29,000 goes for ₦40,000 and brown beans which previously went for ₦34,000 now sells for ₦42,000.

Also, a bag of maize now sells ₦50,000 against ₦12,500 it previously sold.

A bag of groundnut which was ₦23,000 is now ₦26,000.

However, it was observed that the price of rice had gone down; for instance a bag of 50kg foreign rice which sold for ₦18, 000 in December, 2018, now goes for ₦17,500 while a bushel of local rice which sold for ₦7,500, now sells for ₦7,000.

The same goes for a bag of bambara nut also known as Okpa which sells between ₦30,000 and ₦35,000 against ₦40,000 it sold previously.

Meanwhile, some commodities like guinea corn, Joro, wheat and pigeon pea have maintained their prices.

A bag of guinea corn and joro still goes for twenty six thousand naira, wheat for ten thousand naira while pigeon pea remained ₦35,000.

In an interview, a dealer Mr. Obinna Nwaanwuna attributed the price increase of some commodities to high cost of transportation occasioned by high cost of petrol and the crisis in Benue and other states where most of the commodities are produced.

Mr. Nwaanwuna called on Federal Government to take urgent steps to arrest the situation to prevent food shortage across the country.

CHINWE UGWUANYI

Previous post LAMENTATION AS FIRE GUTS HOUSE IN ENUGU
Next post FIRE CONSUMES ANOTHER BUILDING IN ENUGU
Top