It seems this year’s Yuletide may not be rosy for most Lagos residents and traders. They lament sharp increase in foodstuff prices and no money to purchase. Uzoma Otti, Damilola Adewale and Boluwatife Falaki. Report
The popular Mile 12 foodstuff market known for its hustling and bustling especially in this Yuletide season was not as busy as usual as customers lamented lack of money and traders records low patronage.
When New Telegraph visited the market mid last week, it observed that the market wasn’t its bubbling self. Rather, there was some quiet and dull aura about the market. While the traders were shouting on top of their voices, beckoning onto potential customers, most passersby were seen busy pricing and negotiating food items, or simply watching and walking past.
New Telegraph also observed that there was gap and free movement instead of the usual pushing and shoving that was typical of the market.
Not only customers lamented high prices of food items. The traders also complained of low patronage and dull sales especially when compared to previous year’s sales.
For instance, Mrs Moturayo Ahmed, a ginger, garlic and onion seller, said a paint of ginger now sells for N1,000 while a basket of ginger is sold at N8,000 and a bag of garlic costs N50,000. She also said: “Presently, onion is very expensive. God normally gives us tomatoes for the season. If you come to the market next week, the price of tomatoes would have gone down. This is due to the Christmas. Once the Christmas season is over, the price of tomatoes will start to rise. In this Christmas season, the price of onions cannot go down, although there are plenty trailers fully packed with sacks of onions.”
A bag of onion before the Yuletide season was N60,000 but now, you can get a bag of onion at the price of N38,000-N30,000 depending on the sizes. A basket of onion sold for N20,000 three months ago but now a basket of onion cost N15,000.
As at Wednesday, a basket of tomatoes was sold for N8,000-N10,000 depending on the sizes and the customer’s bargaining power. In the months preceding the Yuletide season, tomatoes was reported to have sold for as low as N4,500-N5,000 for a basket. New Telegraph gathered that the intensity of the sun and rainfall in the North determines the quantity and price of tomatoes. A tomato seller, Mr Ashafa Yusuf, explained that when tomatoes are cheap, retail sellers will buy in large quantities and make profit but if expensive, they don’t buy much therefore they, (whole sellers) would incur loss. He also disclosed that tomatoes will be very cheap towards the end of the month.
Rice, the staple food of Nigerians now sells at N17,000 for a 50kg for short grains which is adjudged to be the most delicious while a 50kg long grains is sold at the price of N16,000 as against the N14,000 (short grains) and N13,000(long grains) in the last three months.
Mr. Joshua Samuel, a dealer in rice and beans, said, “the price of beans has reduced now. I sell a of bag Olotu beans for N42,000, and a bag of Olowon beans cost N22,000 while a bag of Oloyin is N25,000. Niger drum beans is N20,000 and the white beans is N32,000. After the Yuletide season, I believe the high Mr Ayobami Olaoyin, a Semovita seller, said: “The price of Semovita is not expensive but customers are not buying because they don’t have the money at hand. I sell 10kg Semovita for N2,500, and the small size for N1,300. The goods are not expensive but no money. This year’s Christmas does not look like there is any celebration at all.”
Elubo (yam flour) has recorded a good decrease in price this season, New Telegraph gathered.
Mrs Maria Adedeji, a yam flour seller said, “Elubo has decreased in price now. Before it was sold for N80,000 per sack but now a sack of Elubo is N65,000. Elubo has season which is during the period when yam is out and is cheaper. It was expensive then because I was still selling the old one but now I’m selling the new one and by March, Elubo is going to be expensive again.”
Mama Edo, a yam seller, in a chat with New Telegraph, said no yam is cheap, it just depends on how much you can pay. There is yam of N200 and above. She said sizes also determine the price of the yam. A 100 pieces of yam can sell for N100,000. Likewise, another 100 pieces can sell for N80,000, N50,000, N60,000, N40,000. But they will differ in size.
“It is always expensive during this Christmas season. It continues to rise as the year goes on. During April, the yam will be dry. It is in April that people crave for new yam. Mr Umaru Mohammed, a pepper seller told New Telegraph that the price of pepper has increased but is not stable. A bag of pepper now sells for N18,000-N19,000 in some cases but before it was sold for N10,000. A small basket of pepper is sold at N5,500.
A 5-litre gallon of groundnut oil is sold for N2,200 while 2 and a half litres of groundnut oil sells for N1,100. A-5litre of palm oil is sold for N2,000 while 2 and a half litres of palm oil sells for N1,000.
An oil seller, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal, said:“No money for customers to buy goods. People are not buying. You see a lot of people in the market but no money for them to purchase. If it were to be when the country was good and money was circulating well, there will be no space in this market by this season because there will be a lot of customer here and there. The price at which we are selling our goods is not expensive. It is just because there is no money at hand for customers. You will see customers everywhere in the market, they have the intention to buy but their pockets can’t afford it. The price of oil is less now but could be lesser after Christmas. Last year was better than now because by this time last year, customers were responding well.”
Condiments
Mr. Chigozie Onyemobi, a food condiments seller, disclosed to New Telegraph that goods are expensive and there’s no money in circulation for customers to buy. Customers wish to buy but have no money. He said he sells a sachet of Knor maggi by 400 by 40 for N400, tin tomatoes big size-N1,200. “Things are expensive because of high cost of transportation and traffic nowadays but the main problem is that the customers do not have money.”
Frozen foods
Mrs Brown Elizabeth, a dealer in frozen foods, said she sells a carton of imported chicken for N10,000 and above depending on the sizes. Local chicken sells for N11,000 per carton, chicken wings sells for N11,000, full chicken sells for N10,500 and a cartoon of Turkey is sold for 13,500.
Mrs Victor Elizabeth, a retail seller, she said: “I opened my shop yesterday. It was only N250 that I sold. I just got frustrated and locked my shop. Now that things are very expensive, if you buy and you don’t sell it in time, everything will just get spoilt and it will result to loss of profits. The price of goods didn’t increase that much, the problem is simply lack of money to buy.”
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