‘People cooking without onions’– Residents groan as prices of food items soar

Just a few days before this year’s Christmas celebration, the prices of food items have continued to soar beyond the reach of average residents of Abia and Imo States in the South-east of Nigeria.

A market survey conducted by the News of Nigeria in Umuahia revealed that the price of essential food items such as rice, chicken, vegetable oil, onions, tomatoes, and condiments has skyrocketed and is nearly unaffordable to many families.

At the popular Isi-gate Market, Umuahia, a 50-kg bag of local rice, called foreign local, ranges from N75,000 to N106,000, depending on its grade, while the imported one is N120,000.

The same goes for vegetable oil: 25 litres cost N95,000, while 10 litres and five litres go for N45,000 and N19,500, respectively, with one litre selling at N3,700.

The price of onions has also hit the roof. One bag goes for N300,000 at Ubani-Ibeku Ultramodern Market, as against N240,000 and N250,000 a few weeks ago.

‘This is too bad to believe’

A cross-section of buyers expressed frustration over the development.

Priscilla Chukwu, a resident of Umuahia, said that many homes might prepare their Christmas stew without onions.

Mrs Chukwu said, “Before now, I couldn’t prepare any soup, especially stew, without enough onions. But today, I can only manage one bulb, which would not give my desired taste.

“The cheapest bulb of onions at Isi Gate now is N300, which is not enough for a good delicacy.

“Already, some people are cooking without onions, and it may be so this Christmas. This is too bad to believe.”

Also, at the Ubani-Ibeku Market, a basket of fresh tomatoes sells for N80,000, up from N50,000 and N60,000 a few weeks ago.

A carton of 50 tomato sachets sells for N6,000 and N7,500, depending on the brand, compared to the old price of N4,000 and N5,500.

Similarly, a basket of fresh pepper sold for N50,000 before now has skyrocketed to between N70,000 and N75,000.

Why prices of food items are going up

A pepper seller, Nneka Iroegbu, said the price would continue rising because of its high demand at Yuletide.

“The high cost of transportation, especially from the North, due to the hike in the pump price of fuel, is the primary cause of the soaring prices of goods.

“The government should also urgently address the problem of insecurity, especially kidnapping and killing so that farmers will return to their farms without fear,” Mrs Iroegbu said.

A check at a chicken market at the Railway Station, Umuahia, revealed that a sizeable broiler now costs N15,000, up from N10,000 some weeks ago.

A chicken seller, Roseline Alozie, said that the price of chicken would continue to soar with Christmas and New Year celebrations around the corner.

“The major cause of the price hike is the high demand for chicken during the Yuletide, coupled with the high cost of feed.

“I’m sure the ones presently selling for N15,000 will still go up to between N20,000 and N22,000 before and during Christmas,” she said.

The situation in Imo

The disturbing market situation is not different in Imo, where the prices of palm oil, vegetable oil, and other food items have significantly shot up in the state’s markets with Yuletide approaching.

NAN reports that one litre of vegetable oil, which sold for N2,500 in Imo, now sells for N4,000, representing a 55 per cent increase.

Also, a litre of red oil, which sold for N1,500 before, now sells for N2,500, with an average-size tuber of yam going for between N3,000 and N4,000, as against N2,500.

Also, a nine-week-old broiler that had previously sold for N15,000 now sells for N22,000, and a further rise is imminent.

A custard container of Garri remained at N2,500 in the past few weeks, but a cup of beans rose to as high as N700 from a little over N500 a few weeks ago.

Also, a mature male goat, usually sold for N30,000, now goes for between N40,000 and N45,000.

A trader at the popular Eke Onunwa Market, Owerri, Ngozika Nwoke, said it was difficult to predict the prices of goods generally in the market.

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Mrs Nwoke attributed the sudden rise in inflation to the Yuletide “season’s sales”.

Another trader, Chigozie Mbawuike, attributed the inflation to “unstable petrol pricing and economic downturn”.

He urged the government at all levels to establish modalities for price control to ensure stability and save families from scorching economic difficulties.

An economist, Willy Obinna, called for the reintroduction of commodity markets, arguing that such a measure would help to bring about price regulation and stability.