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 N80,000 and N85,000, now costs between N57,000 and N58,000. 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 N110,000, now costs N100,000, while a 100kg bag of guinea corn, another staple food in Adamawa, now goes for N55,000, down from N60,000.

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 N13,500 two months ago, now sells for N12,800, while a carton of indomie, which sold for N15,000, now sells for N13,500. 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 N75,000, down from N110,000, while a bag of red beans goes for N95,000, down from N130,000. A 50kg bag of local rice has also dropped from N65,000 to N45,000, while 100kg of guinea corn has dropped from N60,000 to N50,000.

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 N45,000, down from N65,000. A 25-litre jerry can of cooking oil goes for N44,000, down from N60,000, while a bag of sugar has also dropped from N80,000 to N78,000.

In Maiduguri, a 50kg bag of foreign rice goes for N70,000, down from N80,000, while local rice goes for N63,000. A 100kg bag of maize, which used to sell at N75,000, is now N64,000, while millet retains its price of N64,000. However, a basket of tomatoes, which sold for N9,000 two months ago, has risen to N18,000, while a sack of Atargu (pepper) has increased from N52,000 to N65,000.

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.