As bumper harvests are being recorded in parts of Nigeria, the expected multiplier effects on the prices of farm produce have been mixed-grilled in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina.

Surveys revealed that the prices have nose-dived in parts of Kano, Zaria and Kafanchan in Kaduna. However, some prices have remained high in parts of Kaduna and Katsina. 

The three states showed that several factors were responsible for the varying prices of foodstuffs. The development has taken a huge toll on the purchasing power of the ordinary citizens in the three states.

In Kano, food item prices were decreasing as new harvests reached the markets. A survey revealed that the prices of some grains have been reduced. However, local rice, which is still experiencing high demand, remains costly, with a bag going for between N150,000 and N170,000.

A bag of maize was now selling for N95,000 as against N105,000. Similarly, a bag of millet, which was sold for N90,000, now goes for N80,000. A bag of beans that previously sold for between NN170,000 and N180,000 was now selling at N130,000, depending on the quality.

A bag of groundnuts was now selling between N150,000 and N170,000, as against N200,000 in July. Furthermore, tomato prices have crashed in Kano as onion prices also increased. A bowl and a measure of tomatoes that used to be sold for N3,200 and N3,500 have been reduced to N2,400 and N2,000, respectively.

The survey revealed that a bag of onions was also going for N70,000.

A produce dealer, Tanko Idris, attributed the availability of products to bumper harvests. Another trader, Abubakar Labaran, also said the increase in the price of onion was due to the fact that the product was severely affected by the recent rains.

This, he said,  led to a shortage in supply and a subsequent increase in the prices. He added that tomato farming was successful, leading to a surplus in supply and a subsequent price decrease. A customer, Musa Shanono, expressed optimism that the prices of food items would crash further before November.

A resident, Ibrahim Ali, appealed to the traders to desist from hoarding food in an attempt to make more gains.

Aisha Ali suggested using an adequate storage system to preserve some perishable items like tomatoes during the harvest season to prepare for their scarcity. According to her, the newly-harvested crops have triggered a 30 per cent drop in foodstuff prices generally in markets.

In Kafanchan, farmers have attributed the reduction in the prices of foodstuffs to a bumper harvest from their farms. The farmers stated this in separate interviews in Kafanchan.

Amos Barnabas, a large-scale farmer, said food prices gradually decreased in the markets because the farmers started harvesting their crops.

Ladi Gimba, a tomato seller, said tomatoes were now cheaper than they were at the beginning of the year. According to her, a basket of tomatoes now goes for N22,000 as against N35,000 a few months back. She added that a basket of produce went for N17,000 during this same harvest period in 2023.

Another farmer, Kambai Modecai, said he expected food prices to crash further in the coming months following the government’s suspension of import duties on food items.

Mr Modecai said that though the import waiver on food items was a welcome development, Nigeria could feed itself without opening up the borders.

In Zaria and Kaduna, the prices of agricultural commodities stabilised in August at major markets within the zone, especially at the Anchau weekly market in Kubau LGA.

On August 6 and 13, hybrid maize ( white, red and yellow) was going for N85,000 per 100kg bag. Also, local maize (white and yellow) was going ₦75,000 per 100kg bag. Similarly, soybeans sold between ₦90,000 and ₦95,000 per 100kg bag, while sorghum (short kaura and white) was ₦82000 per 100kg bag.

Also, cowpea (white and brown) sold for between N160,000 and 190,000 per 100kg bag. Millet (dauro) was going for ₦86,000 per 100kg; paddy rice was ₦60,000 per 80kg, while milled rice was ₦140,000 per 100kg bag.

On August 7 at the Saminaka market, Lere LGA, the prices of maize dropped to N73,000 for a hybrid variety while local rice was N70000 for a 100kg bag. Paddy rice was between N58,000 and N60,000; soybean N90,000. Sorghum N73,000. Cowpea dropped to N140,000 and N160,000.

However, the prices were slightly higher in Giwa LGA on Thursday as a 100kg bag of maize was going for between N88,000 and 91,000.

Paddy rice was between N65,000 and N70,000, soybean was sold at N96,000, while sorghum was N90,000. Millet was going for N90,000,  a  100kg bag of cowpea brown N200,000, while white cowpea was N165,000.

In Kaduna city and its environs, some Kaduna residents said that the news being peddled on the reduction in prices of food items was not the reality in markets. Consumers and sellers of food items and other essentials said no significant price change had occurred.

Mas’ud Abubakar, who sells food items at the Kasuwan Barci market, said the prices of food items have remained the same for the last two weeks. He said a mudu of rice was sold at N2,400, beans at N2,700, and wheat and garri at N1,600 and N1,300, respectively.

Zahradeen Kabir, another food items seller, stated there was an increase in the price of some items, saying he sells a mudu of rice at N2,700 against N2,400 initial price. Amina Mohammed, a consumer, said she had bought a mudu of rice at N2,300 recently against the N2,400 initial price, saying the difference was too insignificant.

She said the prices of beans and corn flour have remained the same, urging the government and other stakeholders to make food affordable for the people.

In Katsina, the prices of food items were still high, as the prices for perishable commodities were decreasing.

A survey showed that this development was in spite of the fact that the farmers have started harvesting new crops. Yet, the prices of some food items remained higher while those of tomatoes and other perishables kept decreasing.

In parts of the state, such as the Katsina metropolis, Daura, Malumfashi, and Kankia, a check revealed that the residents were frightened by the situation. However, the residents were expecting a reasonable decrease in the prices of food items as the farmers had already started harvesting crops like millet, beans and maize in some parts of the country.

The survey revealed that 50kg of local rice now costs about N75,600, which is against the previous N83,300 and above, depending on the quality of the rice. A 100kg bag of beans, which was sold at N200,000 and above before, now dropped to about N168,000, also depending on the quality and the market.

A measure of beans now sells around N4,200, against the former price of N5,000 and above. However, in many places, a 100kg bag of millet was sold at a price between N85,000 and N100,000. The survey showed that there was no change in the price as it was sold at the same price some months back. A 100kg of maize was sold at N92,000, while a measure cost N2,300 and above in many places.

Yusuf Ibrahim, a resident, described the situation as worrisome, though there was a slight decrease in some places.

“I recently bought a bowl of local rice and beans at N4,500 and N4,200, respectively, as against N4,900 and N5,100 last month. It is a harvest period, so the prices of food items will continue falling day-by-day as new crops are coming to the markets,” he said.

Bala Mai-Doya, a yam dealer in Katsina, said they were still struggling with higher prices.

Grace Audu, a restaurant operator in the metropolis, said she no longer sells pounded yam due to the high cost of yam in the market.

The survey further revealed that, following the frequent rainfall being experienced in the state, the prices of tomatoes have reduced across some markets.

Abubakar Adamu, a perishables seller at Kasuwan Gwari, said the price of the different baskets of tomatoes had drastically reduced compared to a few months ago.

According to him, a big basket of tomatoes sold at about N120,000 to N150,000 a few months back was now sold from N20,000 to N25,000.

He added that a small and medium basket that was sold at N40,000 to N50,000 was now N10,000 and below.

Mr Adamu attributed the reduction to bumper harvest during the rainy season.

Abdulrahman Sani, a household leader, said a few months back, he spent about N1,500 to prepare a stew, but now he spends less than N500 on vegetables to prepare a soup.

Most farmers were predicting bumper harvests and expecting further reductions in the prices of all farm produce. The farmers commended the state government for selling 20,000 metric tons of fertilizer to the farmers at subsidised prices.

The fertilizers were sold at N25,000 per bag of NPK and urea, which costs N38,000 to N40,000 and above in the markets. The government recruited over 772 extension workers and provided them with motorcycles and other equipment.

This was to enable them to move around to enlighten the farmers on how to improve their productivity.

Governor Dikko Radda said during the launch of the fertilizer sales that improving agricultural productivity was another way to fight poverty.

(NAN)