The prices of food stuffs, especially local rice, beans, and guinea corn, have increased by 85 per cent across markets in area councils of the FCT.
City & Crime correspondent, who visited Kwali Area Council main market on Saturday, reports that a measure of local rice which was sold for N1,000 a week ago has risen to N1, 600:00 and that same measure of beans which was sold at N750:00, some weeks ago, is now sold between N1,000 and N950:00 per ‘mudu’.
A rice seller at Kwali market, Mrs Rebecca Ayuba, said the price of the rice suddenly skyrocketed due to high transport fares.
She said, “I used to travel to Lambata market sometimes in Paiko in Niger State to buy rice between three and four bags and vehicle would convey them to Kwali at a lower price, but as of last week, the driver has increased the amount by 70 per cent.
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She said she had no option but to also increase the price of the rice, even as she said some middlemen, especially women from Edo and Kogi states, normally come to the market to buy the rice at any amount.
“If you observe, there are some women traders who always come from Edo and Kogi states every four days to Kwali market to buy rice and other grains. And because of the high transport fare, we have increased the price too,” she said.
Our correspondent, however, reports that the price of maize has gone down in the markets, a situation that many people attribute to the influx of the new maize which has been flooding the market.
Our reporter, who also visited Abaji main market on Sunday, observed that the measure of rice has risen to N1,600, the price many consumers are lamenting.
A consumer at the market, Mrs Maria Yakubu, said she was surprised at the new price as she bought the same measure at N1,300 last market day.
“At last Abaji market, I bought three measures of rice for N1,300 each but today, they said it is now N1,600. I don’t know if a poor man will eat rice in this country again,” she said.
Another consumer, Shuaibu Suleiman, blamed the increase in food stuffs, especially rice, maize and guinea corn on the hike in petrol price, which he said has forced commercial drivers to increase their transport fares.
It was also observed that a measure of guinea corn which was sold at N400 a few months ago is now sold at N1,000, while a measure of beans which was sold at N750:00 some weeks ago, is now sold at N1,000 and N950:00 at Abaji market.
