Prices Of Rice, Spaghetti, Beans, Other Foodstuffs Drop [See New Prices]

A recent survey has revealed a significant drop in the prices of staple food items in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.

This development is a welcome relief for residents in these states, who have been grappling with high food prices in recent months.

In Yola Central Market, a 50kg bag of foreign rice, which previously sold for between ₦80,000 and ₦85,000, now costs between ₦57,000 and ₦58,000. This represents a significant decrease of over 30% in just two months, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Similarly, a 100kg bag of beans, which sold for ₦110,000, now costs ₦100,000, while a 100kg bag of guinea corn, another staple food in Adamawa, now goes for ₦55,000, down from ₦60,000.

Suleiman Adamu, a trader in the market who deals in pasta, attributed the decrease in prices to the recent rise in the value of the naira.

According to him, a big carton of spaghetti, which sold for ₦13,500 two months ago, now sells for ₦12,800, while a carton of indomie, which sold for ₦15,000, now sells for ₦13,500. Adamu urged the government to sustain the tempo and ensure that the prices of essential commodities remain affordable for the citizenry.

Mohammed Tukur, a lecturer at the Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, commended the government for its efforts in stabilizing the economy, which has led to the decrease in food prices.

However, he urged the government to put in place mechanisms to control the prices of essential commodities to ensure access and affordability for all.

In Yobe State, a similar trend has been observed. A bag of 100kg white beans now costs ₦75,000, down from ₦110,000, while a bag of red beans goes for ₦95,000, down from ₦130,000. A 50kg bag of local rice has also dropped from ₦65,000 to ₦45,000, while 100kg of guinea corn has dropped from ₦60,000 to ₦50,000.

Abdullahi Garin-Dayi, chairman of the Grain Sellers Association in the market, attributed the decrease in prices to the need for farmers to generate cash for the next cropping season. According to him, farmers are willing to sell their produce at lower prices to raise funds for the next planting season.

At Bayan Tasha market in Damaturu, the chairman of the traders association, Alhassan Ibrahim, said a 50kg bag of local rice now sells for ₦45,000, down from ₦65,000. A 25-litre jerry can of cooking oil goes for ₦44,000, down from ₦60,000, while a bag of sugar has also dropped from ₦80,000 to ₦78,000.

In Maiduguri, a 50kg bag of foreign rice goes for ₦70,000, down from ₦80,000, while local rice goes for ₦63,000. A 100kg bag of maize, which used to sell at ₦75,000, is now ₦64,000, while millet retains its price of ₦64,000. However, a basket of tomatoes, which sold for ₦9,000 two months ago, has risen to ₦18,000, while a sack of Atargu (pepper) has increased from ₦52,000 to ₦65,000.

Overall, the decrease in food prices is a welcome development for residents in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, who have been grappling with high food prices in recent months.