Abuja families groan

• As prices of tomatoes, pepper, beans soar

From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are groaning under worsening economic hardship as the prices of tomatoes, pepper, beans and other staple food items continue to rise in major markets.

Investigation revealed that this has left many families struggling to survive, with residents lamenting that the situation is far worse than what was obtainable the same period last year. Traders blamed the development on rising transportation costs, insecurity in farming communities and inflation.

A basket of tomatoes now sells for over N95,000 in some markets as against N25,000 last year, while a bag of pepper is now sold for N75,000. Beans and other staple food items have also witnessed sharp increases. Many residents said they can no longer afford to buy food items in bulk as household feeding becomes more difficult by the day.

A mother of three, Mrs. Grace Emmanuel, described the situation as painful, saying feeding her family has become a daily struggle: “Last year, with N10,000, you could still buy reasonable foodstuff. Now, the money cannot buy half of what it used to.”

Kelechi Nwosu said many households had resorted to reducing meal portions to cope with the harsh economic situation.

Mrs. Joy Ogifi also cried out: “You cannot even buy tomatoes for N1,000 again, while pepper of N500 cannot cook a pot of soup. Before now, with N500 you could buy enough tomatoes and pepper, but things have changed completely.

“Fish we used to buy for N2,000 is now about N4,000 and above. We don’t even go close to protein anymore because everything is too costly.

“Buyers now spend huge amounts in the market without getting enough foodstuffs. You can carry N50,000 to the market and still not fill one bag. Things are really running out of hand and we don’t know where we are going in this country.”

Florence Aki of Jabi District, lamented: “The rising cost of living now affects virtually every aspect of daily life, including water and cooking ingredients. Everything has increased.

“A truck of water is about N1,500, while sachet water is around N500. In one household, you spend nothing less than N2,500 or N3,000 just for water before you even think of cooking.

“There is no tomato for N500 anymore. Even the one for N1,000 is too small. If you want to cook stew now, you may spend about N5,000 on tomatoes alone for food that the family will finish in one day.

“I have resorted to alternatives because fresh tomatoes are no longer affordable. I cannot remember when last I used tomatoes to cook stew. I have switched to cabbage stew for over one month now because tomatoes are too expensive.”

A dealer at Dei-Dei Market, Musa Adams, said traders were facing serious challenges due to the sharp rise in food prices and declining patronage: “Previously, tomatoes were sold between N18,000 and N25,000 per big basket, but they are presently being sold between N45,000 and N48,000.

“A bag of pepper which used to cost between N70,000 and N85,000 now sells for between N80,000 and N96,000. Sometimes, up to a quarter or half of a basket of tomatoes gets damaged before sale, leading to financial losses.

“Transportation is crucial in this business. We buy these products from the farms and sometimes face challenges transporting them to the market. We appeal to government to address the issue of fuel prices, as it is greatly affecting us.”

A tomato and pepper seller at Utako Market, Mallam Sani Mohammed, said: “The prices of food items have become unbearable for both traders and consumers. What used to buy enough tomatoes and pepper for a pot of stew can no longer meet the same demand, forcing families to spend between N8,000 and N15,000 on a little meal.

“The other time it was onions, but now it is tomatoes and pepper. Before, you could buy tomatoes and pepper that would be enough for a pot of stew, but now you have to budget between N5,000 and N10,000. It is very expensive.

“Transportation remains the biggest challenge affecting prices. Moving farm produce from producing states to Abuja now costs traders heavily.

“It is not just because of the season alone. Transportation is the major issue. Before you transport tomatoes from places like Suleja to Abuja where we sell, we spend a lot of money. Transportation is really killing us.

“The beans they used to call the food of the common man got to about N700 during harvest season and we were happy, but now it has risen to between N1,500 and N1,600. There is no difference between beans and rice again.

“Many traders are abandoning the business because of low patronage and constant losses caused by spoilage. Some of us selling tomatoes have moved to another business because people are no longer buying like before.

“Most families are now looking for alternatives. Some people now use onions or cabbage to make stew because tomatoes are too expensive.

“You buy tomatoes at a very expensive price and still find it difficult to sell. It is not our fault. We are even running at a loss because once you do not sell quickly, the tomatoes spoil and the money is gone.

He appealed to the government to urgently address transportation challenges and reduce the hardship faced by traders and consumers.

“I do not know how the government can help us, but they should address the transportation issue so that prices can come down and things can return to normal,” he pleaded.