Prices of food items have started coming down in Nasarawa State following the arrival of newly harvested farm produce, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A survey conducted by NAN around Keffi markets of the state on Friday revealed that the prices of maize, groundnut and local rice had reduced, but that foreign rice was still expensive.
NAN reports that a bag of maize is now selling for between N18, 000 and N20, 000 as against N25, 000 and N27,000 sold last two month, while a measure now costs about N200 down from between N270 and N250.
The report also said that a measure of local rice which sold for N 550 is now selling for between N400 and N450, while the foreign brand now costs about N500.
Mrs Mercy Usman, a resident of Keffi, said: “We are now happy that the harvest of new agricultural products had started crashing the prices of food items especially the price of maize and local rice.
“A measure of maize which is previously sold at N270 to N250 is now going for about N200, while a bag of maize now is sold at N20,000 to N18,000.
“This will now reduce our economic hardship in the state and the country at large.
“The previous hikes in the prices of goods in the markets have created untold hardship to many Nigerians who found it hard to feed their families,” She said.
Another housewife, Madam Azumi Ibrahim, said: “Most consumers are now happy that the harvest of food items is forcing their prices to come down except that of foreign rice and we don’t know why.’’
According to her, “low prices of commodities would not only encourage consumers to buy more quantity but would also improve on their standard of living there by boosting the socio-economic development of the country’’.
She expressed optimism that the prices of food items would crash further before the year ends, adding that massive food production would end the current economic hardship facing the country.
However, some residents who spoke with NAN appealed to the state government to ensure prompt payment of salaries to civil servants to cushion their lives.
(NAN)
AKW/MST