Encomium
This is the season of double celebrations, Christmas and New Year. Prices of food stuff have hit the rooftop and the masses are complaining, especially housewives. ENCOMIUM Weekly went to town to sample the views of some affected citizens, the reason for the hike and more.
HOUSE WIVES COMPLAIN
Folakemi Abiodun
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, I would say it is affecting the prices of foodstuff. They are really expensive o! Now that the festive period is around, it is more expensive. God will help us. It is normal for things to be very expensive during festive seasons.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
The difference is not really much, it is just tomato, onion and rice that have increased. Like I said, it is normal for prices of foodstuff to increase in festive periods.
Folami Omolayo
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, definitely it is. I think it is as a result of fuel scarcity. The prices of foodstuff have really gone up, starting from the smallest to the biggest, none is the same again. But I think it has increased even before the festive period and probably the hike in transport fare is also responsible.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Just like a bag of rice which was sold N8,500 is now N10,000. It is applicable to every foodstuff now.
Sandra Popoola
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes now, it is affecting them, everything has gone up. Our people are used to it. They know that during festive periods, prices of foodstuff go up. Everybody wants to make the profit they did not make since the beginning of the year.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Foodstuff is very expensive at the moment. The prices are now double, compared to what we used to buy.
Mrs. Peace Abel
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, it is affecting food stuff not even food stuff only but wears.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Bag of rice was N9,000 but now N12,000, onions is scarce and expensive.
Mrs. Titilope
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, it has.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
The price of tomatoes has increased. I used to buy N50 before it’s now N100, onions and pepper same price no more N50.
Mrs. Ngozi A.
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
The price of everything skyrockets towards Xmas, even the cost of moving around increases.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
I used to comfortably buy about N400 worth of pepper to make stew for my family, but now I spend close to N700 on pepper even the aboki’s that used to sell in large quantity reduced the quantity.
Mrs. Oyebanji Bukunmi
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, Christmas is just 10 days away. Things are becoming quite expensive. Market women want to make extra money during this festive period. To make things worse, there is no fuel, transport fare has increased.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Rice is gradually going up. I used to buy a paint bucket for N750, now it is N800. A bag was N10,000 depending on the brand. It is now sold for N11,000, N11,500.
Mrs. Bello
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
It is normal for prices of food stuff to go up during Christmas. Even transport fare also increases and that affects food stuff because it has to be moved from one location to the other.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
The outrageous ones are pepper and tomatoes. They have really increased. I used to buy tomatoes worth N300 to make stew that will last for three days, now, N500 worth of tomato is not enough.
Mrs. Emmanuella
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
It is not only Christmas. The problem started quite a while ago, about three, four months now. The fuel scarcity made it worse.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Tomatoes and pepper are mostly affected. Their prices have not been stable for quite a while now. Even pumpkin, ugu leaves, they have reduced the quantity they sell for N50 or N100.
Mrs. Bala
Yes, we expect that to happen every year, somethings are high while some are stable. Perishable commodities like pepper, onions, etc are more expensive.
Mrs. Taiwo
Yes. From rice to oil, pepper, maggi, poultry produce and meat is always expensive this time. Any product that the demand is high will surely be more expensive.
Madam Adedoyin
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
The approaching Xmas is causing a great hike in prices of food stuff.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
I really can’t tell if the price of rice has increase yet because I bought a bag last month for about N8,000, I don’t know how much it is now. I usually buy fried rice ingredients worth N300 but now as Xmas is approaching, I’ve been buying N500 worth.
Mama Adeola
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Normally, during Christmas, there is usually hike in prices of food stuff because Christians are preparing for Christmas, things are usually expensive.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Rice, pepper and tomatoes are mostly affected.
Mrs. Onabanjo
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Prices of every item you can think of usually increase in December.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Tomatoes, pepper, basically are affected. Yam flour (elubo) has also gone up. It is now N3,600 instead of N2,500.
TRADERS CRY
Mama Tope
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, there is an increase in the prices of food stuff and everybody knows that that’s how things are when Xmas is approaching.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Pepper is expensive now, the cost of a basket of tomato increased by about N2,000 recently, onions too is on the increase.
Iya Pamilerin
A lot of sellers are blaming the hike on fuel scarcity and it’s true because when you use a lot of money to transport goods, you will surely charge more. Yam is fair but the black yam flour has risen from N800 per plastic to N1,000 per plastic.
Iya Ayo
Rice is always more expensive during festive seasons because this is what most people cook and it’s in high demand. The best thing is to buy your rice before November. Other things like transportation will also make commodities to become more expensive. Rice which was N9,000 to N10,000 is now from N10,000 upwards.
Mrs. Kayode
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, it has.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Yes, the price of meat is very expensive. The price of a whole cow was N180,000 but now N250,000, assorted meat was N15,000 but now N18,000, the head of cow was N18,000 but now N25,000, a bowl of onions is N1,500, stock fish of N150 is now N200.
Madam Teresa
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, it is affecting and everything is expensive now. I have to struggle to make my own gain.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
Before a derica cup of crayfish was N300 but now N500, a bag of stock fish was N80,000 but now N250,000.
Hamzat Idowu
Can you say the yuletide has affected the cost of foodstuff?
Yes, it has. As usual, towards Christmas and even sallah period, so, it is not strange. I usually look forward to this season because I make more gain.
Can you compare the prices of foodstuff before and now?
The prices of food stuff have increased. You cannot compare the prices of foodstuff to what they were two weeks ago. The difference is clear.
Mrs. Muhammad (Kerosene seller)
I think Nigerians should have gotten used to this norm. Pepper is expensive now.
Iya Amaka (Cloth seller)
I can’t really put out the difference between the things I bought last year and now. Market is dull too.
- SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN, TINUOLA JOSEPH, NKECHI IBEMERE, GLORY OSIGWE and DAMILOLA FOLAMI
