Despite being in their peak season, tomatoes and pepper prices in northern Nigeria have continued to rise sharply, according to Arewa PUNCH.
Residents are feeling the pinch as these essential kitchen items have become unaffordable for many. Just days after Eid-il-kabir, prices have soared even higher.
A survey across major markets in Kaduna, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, and Sokoto reveals an alarming trend: instead of decreasing, prices are escalating uncontrollably.
For example, in Lafiya, Nasarawa State, Halima Musa, a housewife, expressed her concern over the skyrocketing prices. She cited that a basket of tomatoes, previously N17,000, now costs N65,000, while a bag of pepper has jumped from N10,000 to N52,000.
Housewives like Joy Abraham are resorting to sachet tomatoes due to unaffordable fresh ones. She noted that prices have surged from N1,000-N1,500 to N8,000-N10,000 for tomatoes, and from N600 to N4,000 for pepper per small painter bucket.
Yakubu Ibrahim, a trader from Lafiya market, defended the prices, attributing them to sourcing from distant states and selling at minimal profit margins to ease the burden on consumers.
Similar situations were observed in other states. In Adamawa, the scarcity of tomatoes and pepper has left even local eateries struggling.
Traders in Sokoto reported shocking prices—a basket of tomatoes now goes for N90,000-N100,000, up from less than N30,000 just two months ago.
In Kaduna, Mrs. Gladys Akpojiyovwi described her shock at the current prices, which have more than tripled since earlier in the year. She attributed this to challenges like disease outbreaks affecting crop yields.
The situation is dire in Gombe too, where consumers are turning to dried alternatives due to the prohibitive cost of fresh tomatoes and pepper.
The high prices are not solely due to traders; factors such as transport costs, security challenges, and weather conditions also play significant roles.
Overall, the persistently high prices of tomatoes and pepper in northern Nigeria are adversely affecting households and businesses alike, prompting calls for urgent government intervention to stabilize the market.
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