By Mike Adeyemi
The economic reality in recent time is no doubt taking tolls on residents of Kwara State who are groaning as prices of food commodities increased astronomically.
A cross section of residents who spoke with National Pilot at the weekend, decried what they described as incessant increase in prices of food stuff in the past few months.
In Egunedun in Moro Local Government Area, Mr. Shuaib Salami, a father of five, lamented the hardship faced in putting food on the table for his family as essentials are fast being priced out of hands of the common man.
“Many people have resorted to buying what is known as broken rice, which is the last grade of milled rice and even at that, a measure, which was sold for N550 before is now N950. A measure of maize is now N600. Survival is becoming so difficult these days,” Salami said.
A resident of Ilorin, the state capital, Mall. Ibrahim Jatto said, “People now only look for what is affordable and available; prices of food commodities are so high and beyond the reach of the common man. I have two wives and five children, and I earn a little above N40, 000. How do I survive in a situation where a 50kg of rice is sold at N26, 000?,” He queried.
At Sawmill Garage, some artisans, who spoke to National Pilot, expressed concerns over the sharp rise in food commodities across various markets in the Ilorin metropolis.
A bricklayer, Dauda Ibrahim, who is a father of four, said he used to buy a bag of guinea corn that lasts for a month but could no longer afford it.
“I only buy half of a bag these days and therefore my wife has to cut the ration we use daily. Besides, I have four children apart from the two children of my late brother who are staying with me. It is indeed a trying moment,” he stressed.
Musbau Atere, a vulcanizer, said: “Before I used to buy a bag of rice and half a bag of beans and garri for my family. But these days I can’t afford it, I only take home what we would eat.”
However, some traders have attributed the high cost of food items to the inability of farmers to produce enough for domestic consumption while international borders remained closed.
Others attributed the problem to the increase in the price of petrol and electricity tariff.
A survey conducted by our reporter on prices of commodities in the popular Oja-Oba market revealed that, a 100kg bag of rice is sold at N54, 000 or more, while a 100kg bag of beans is sold for N21, 000.
Similarly, a 100kg bag of old maize is sold at N22, 000 and that of newly harvested maize goes for N18, 500.
A 100kg bag of millet goes for N20, 000 and a 100kg of garri is sold at N18, 500. A tuber of yam goes for N650.
At Mandate Market, a measure of local rice is sold at N850, while foreign rice is sold for N1, 200. Also, a bag of beans, which was sold at N18, 000 in May 2020, is now sold at N22, 000.
At Obo Road market, a bag of rice, which was sold for N18, 000 is now N22, 000 while a bag of foreign rice, which has been banned but still being smuggled in is sold at N30, 000. Vegetable oil, which was sold for N11, 000 is now N14, 000. Also, a 4-litre paint bucket of garri goes for between N700 and N1000. A 4-litre paint bucket of beans rose from N1, 500 to N1, 700.
Similarly, bread bakers under the aegis of Kwara Master Bakers, said on Saturday that the price of flour, a major ingredient for bread, increased from N12, 000 per 50kg bag to N14, 500 per bag, sugar increased from 15,500 per bag to N18,200.
Butter, which was formally N8,900 has increased to N11,000 while yeast rose from N11,500 to N15,500. Bundle of nylons increased from N8,000 to N14,000.
The Chairman of Kwara Master Bakers, Abdulfatai Alaba lamented that the hike in the prices of products used in the production of bread has forced most master bakers in the state to close their factories.
