The prices of some foodstuffs have increased in major markets within Enugu metropolis ahead of the Easter celebrations, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A market survey conducted by a NAN correspondent on Saturday in Enugu markets revealed that prices of some food items had increased by 10 per cent when compared to about a month ago.
Some foodstuff sellers attributed the price increase to Easter celebration, increase in transportation and off-season period of some of the edible commodities.
The price of a big basket of tomatoes now sells for between N62,000 and N65,000 as against N50,000 and N52,000 sold in March.
The price of a bag of Nsukka pepper now goes for N60,000 as against N50,000 sold in February.
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A tomato seller at the New Akwata Market, Garki in Enugu, Mrs Chizoba Uzor, attributed the increase in the price of a basket of tomatoes to the Easter celebration.
Uzor said that the insufficient supply of the commodity could be due to the high cost of fuel price, thereby, causing the prices of tomatoes and pepper to increase.
Mrs Monica Nwobi, another tomato trader at Garki market, said that the prices might not reduce if there was insufficiency in supply of the commodity, adding that tomato off-season was gradually approaching as well.
Miss Favour Ejike, a customer at Mayor Market, Enugu, said that the price of tomatoes tended to increase from the month of April.
Ejike expressed surprise that the price was very high even though it was just the beginning of April.
She urged the government to build storage facilities for preservation of perishable items in the country as that would ensure price stability and commodities availability at all times.
However, an onion seller at the New Garki Market, Alhaji Ado Zibairu, said that the significant reduction in the price of onions was as a result of its abundance, as it was the onion’s seasonal period of harvest.
According to Zubairu, a bag of onions now sold for between N35,000 and N45,000 as against N48,000 and N50,000 in March depending on their sizes.
Another onion seller at New market, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that due to its season and its abundance in the market, she had been having a lot of waste from her unsold spoiled onions.
A carrot seller at Ogbete Market, Enugu, Miss Azuka Enemmuo, said that a bag of carrots now sells for between N45,000 and N60,000 as against between N38,000 and N50, 000 in February.
Enemmuo also attributed the price hike to the Easter celebration, adding that the suppliers of the items were also complaining of the high cost of transportation at the same time, thereby making the prices to soar.
Also, the price of chicken had also slightly increased due to the Easter celebration and increase in transportation.
Mr Chikezie Ukah, who sells brollers and old layers chickens at Garki Market told NAN that the price of chickens had also increased due to the season of Easter, high cost of feeds and high cost of transportation in the country.
Ukah said that a medium size of a chicken now sold for N16, 000 as against N13, 000 sold in March.
According to him, a big size of chicken goes for between N28, 000 and N35.,000 as against N23, 000 and N30, 000 in March.
Meanwhile, the price of beef had also increased as a kilo of beef now goes for N8, 000 as against N7, 500.
Mr Okechukwu Ani, a meat seller at Mayor Market, said that the increase in price of beef was as a result of the increase in transportation price and not because of the Easter celebration.
(NAN)
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