FOOD: Harvest season brings relief as food prices drop across markets – Reports

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Nigerians have heaved a sigh of relief as the prices of major food commodities recorded significant declines across several markets, largely attributed to the arrival of fresh harvests.

A survey conducted by reporters at Mararaba market, located on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nasarawa State, revealed that the prices of staples such as rice, beans, garri, and tomatoes have dropped considerably.

A 50kg bag of foreign rice, which sold for between N88,000 and N90,000 in July, now sells for N83,000, while the local variety fell from N70,000 to N65,000. White beans currently go for N130,000 per bag, while the brown type is priced at N135,000. In smaller quantities, a tier of white beans sells for N1,700–N1,800, with the brown variety going for N2,000 per tier.

However, not all commodities are on a downward trend. Soya beans climbed from N80,000 in July to N85,000 in August. A trader, Abdul, explained the fluctuation. “There was a little drop between June and July, but now soya is going up again. Maybe it’s scarcity or transportation, but we just follow the supply,” he said.

The Chairman of the Tomato Sellers’ Association in Mararaba market, Hamza Abubakar, highlighted how the influx of fresh produce has altered market prices. “Before now, a bag of UTC tomatoes went for between N90,000 and N100,000. Today, it’s N50,000,” he revealed.

He further explained that Darika tomatoes, previously sold for N65,000–N70,000 three weeks ago, now cost N35,000 per bag, while a paint rubber of tomatoes dropped from N15,000 to N13,000. He added: “A basket of cayenne pepper now ranges between N4,000 and N5,500, while scotch bonnet pepper is about N6,000 per paint rubber. But onions are still very costly. A bag is around N100,000, and a basket sells between N13,000 and N15,000.”

Abubakar also noted that a basket of Irish potatoes currently goes for N4,000–N6,000, depending on size and quality.

In the grains segment, garri prices have significantly declined. White garri dropped to N72,000 per bag, while the yellow type sells for N78,000–N80,000. Smaller quantities followed the same trend, as a mudu of white garri, once sold for N1,100, now costs N700, while yellow garri fell from N1,200 to N900 per mudu.

One of the traders, Mohammed, attributed the relief directly to harvests. “The new crops are coming in, and that’s why prices are falling. We expect more reductions in the coming weeks, especially for tomatoes, peppers, and some grains,” he said.

At Karu market, still in the FCT, the survey showed that the price of a bag of Indian rice reduced from N53,000 to N50,000, while Thai long-grain rice fell from N72,000 to N68,000. A bag of white beans dropped from N112,000 to N105,000 within two months. White maize also went down from N58,000 to N55,000, and red maize from N60,000 to N58,000.

In the yam section, new yam is currently priced at N4,000–N5,500 per tuber, while dry yam ranges from N6,500 to N8,500. A foodstuff trader, Mary Agba, noted that the market remains unstable. “The prices have been moving up and down for months now,” she said.

At Masaka market, also in Nasarawa State, more reductions were recorded. A basin of milled rice, previously sold for N35,000–N42,000, now goes for N28,000–N32,000 depending on quality. A bag of local rice dropped from N78,000 to between N65,000 and N70,000.

Garri prices in Masaka showed the steepest decline, with a basin that once cost N35,000 now selling for N11,000, while a bag reduced from N75,000 to N55,000–N60,000. Beans also eased, with prices falling from N80,000–N90,000 per bag to N70,000–N72,000, depending on the type.

Across all the markets surveyed, traders agreed that the harvest season has been the biggest factor behind the downward trend, bringing long-awaited relief to consumers

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