Prices of foodstuff are rising in the Taraba despite crops being harvested across the state.
Findings revealed that the cost of fuel and high demand for farm produce like maize, groundnut, paddy rice, raw cassava, yam and sesame seed, was responsible for the rising prices.
Daily Trust gathered that daily an increase in the prices of farm produce is being recorded across grain markets in the state.
This is the situation at Iware, Mutum Biyu, Garba Chede, Maihula which are major grain markets.
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It was learnt that in less than two weeks the price of maize was increased from N34,000 to N57,000 per 100 kg bag.
Price of paddy rice was increased from N37,000 to N49,000 per 100 kg bag.
Similarly, price of raw cassava was increased five fold from September to November this year because of the demand of raw cassava by some industries using cassava as their raw materials.
Daily Trust gathered that a trailer load of raw cassava which was sold last year at the rate of N8million now cost N17 million.
A trader at Garba Chede grain market, Nuhu Maibuhu, claimed that, “middle men are coming from different parts of the country to make bulk purchase of farm produce on daily and weekly basis that is why prices will continue to rise.”