Encomium
Yam, one of Nigeria’s staple foods, is gradually going farther within the reach of the common man as the price keeps skyrocketing daily.
encomium.ng’s finding revealed a tuber of yam is sold for N1,400 and above depending on the size.
Reasons for the astronomical rise has been attributed to different factors such as sudden importation move by the Government and late arrival of new yam. We sampled opinions of yam sellers and housewives about this development.
SELLERS
Mallam Isa
Yam is not as expensive in the North as it is in Lagos. The importation move by the government made yam expensive. We don’t get the quantity we used to bring from the North to the West again. Before, we would bring a trailer load of yam, but now we do bring half trailer and it is the same amount we pay for both trailer full and half trailer. That is where the problem started. By the time we bring half a trailer load we have to sell a tuber of yam twice the price we used to sell it before that makes it very expensive. For instance, the size of yam I would sell for N700 is now N1400, N1500 because we couldn’t fill our trailer over there as a result of scarcity.
Ibrahim
New yam is not yet out, that is why yam is now expensive. New yam is supposed to be out since March, this is July. Old yam is finishing so the few left will be very expensive.
Musa
Importation has made yam expensive. By next year, more people would be harvesting more yams and that would crash the price. There would be competition because of exportation so it would be cheaper. It is very expensive now, nobody will do business and run at loss.
Mr. Israel
I do buy a tuber at N1,000 at Ile Epo, I would add N100 transport from the market to where I will sell before thinking of my own gain. Already, it is more than a thousand naira but there is nothing l can do. Customers are complaining, we just have to sell and make gain. That has made business very slow for us too. Some of my friends selling Yam are now doing other business because of the high cost.
BUYERS
Mrs. Esther Olabisi
Yam is overly expensive now, I couldn’t buy one last week after pricing it. What we used to buy at N500 is now N1,200 per tuber. I was just staring at the man selling it, I couldn’t even price it. Before I left the house, I had calculated that N1,500 should purchase two moderate sized tubers. It was a great surprise for me really. For now, my family has stopped eating yam till the price drops or new yam comes out.
Madam Alero
There is no more yam in the market. Though the ones available are not as dry as they used to be, they are too expensive. Each one cost over a thousand naira even at Ile Epo. That is why Elubo is also so expensive.
Mrs. Yetunde
I own a restaurant. For now, we are not selling yam because it too expensive, N1200 per one. How much are we going to resell? It is too much. People are saying exportation of yam caused the hike in price. I pray things will be better when new yam comes out.
Mrs. Esiene
Yes, yam is expensive. I bought one for N900 this week. I wonder why new yam is not yet out. Things are just too expensive nowadays and some people are saying recession has ended. I just wonder how because things are still very expensive. I hope government will encourage cultivation of yam for commercial purposes. If they do that, the price would be more reasonable.
– SHADE WESLEY METIBOGUN for encomium.ng
