Prices of food items have gone up in major markets in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as Muslims begin to shop for the forthcoming Eid-ul- Fitr celebration.
A market survey conducted by Daily Trust revealed that prices of commodities like foodstuffs; beverages and frozen foods have increased.
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During visits to major markets in the metropolis such as Mandate ultramodern modern market, Ipata market, Obbo Road, Yoruba Road and Oja Tuntun, it was observed that the costs of rice, beans, catfish, potatoes, sugar and vegetable oil, among others increasing and fluctuating.
Abdulkareem Yusuf said a small bag of rice rose to N24,500 a week ago to N23, 500, while the big brand’s price is N36,000.
A bag of beans (white) was N45,000 but has risen to N47,000 while red beans rose from N50,000 to N52,000, Yusuf said.
A 25-litre keg of groundnut oil is N20,600 rising from N19,200 while palm oil is N14,500 from N13,000. A tray of evaporated milk rose from N8,000 to N9,200.
This medium also gathered that a kilogramme of catfish rose from N850 to N950, while a medium-sized chicken now goes for N3, 500 as against N2, 500.
A trader, Aminu Adamu, said, “The fact of the matter is that people are taking advantage of the high demand for the commodities.’’
Meanwhile prices of vegetables and other essential items also rose in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.
At Jalingo vegetables market, traders are making brisk business even as prices of vegetables doubled .
A trader, Musa Dauda said a big basket of tomatoes and pepper rose from around N3000 three days ago N10,000 and N8,000 respectively as their suppliers from Gombe, Kano, Yobe and Katsina increasedthie rates.
Ramatu Sani, a customer at the market, told Daily Trust that customers are now paying three times the price of the items in the market.
“That has been the practice of traders in Jalingo to increase prices of essential items during period of festivities.”
Similarly, cooking oil is also affected. A 25-litre jerry can of palm was N12,000 few days ago but has risen to N14,500. Groundnut oil rose from N23,000 to N28,000.
