NAN
Mr Femi Odusanya, Spokesperson for Mile 12 International Market, has urged the government to subsidise the agricultural value chain as consumables prices moderately soar following preparations to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, popularly known as “Big Sallah.”
Odusanya called on Thursday during a market survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in various areas of Lagos.
The survey revealed that item prices increased moderately in the Ajah, Kara, Mile 12, and Oyingbo markets compared to the same period in 2024.
A 50kg basket of tomatoes sold for N35,000 in 2024 had risen to N45,000 at Mile 12.
However, the price of the same commodity ranged between N50,000 and N65,000 in Lekki and Ajah.
The price of a bag of scotch bonnet, popularly known as “atarodo,” jumped to N150,000 from N120,000 in 2024.
Similarly, the price of a 50kg basket of bell peppers, called “tatashe,” rose from N95,000 to N110,000 and N130,000, depending on bargaining power.
However, the same quantity of red chilli pepper, known as “Bawa or combo,” dropped from its 2024 cost of N110,000 to between N90,000 and N100,000, depending on bargaining power.
The survey also showed that the price of a 100kg basket of onions rose from N70,000 to N160,000.
On the other hand, NAN reports that the price of a 50kg bag of local rice, sold for N65,000 in 2024, has dropped to between N58,000 and N63,000.
Also, prices of animals used to celebrate the festival, such as rams, cows, and goats, increased moderately.
The price range for a medium-sized ram was N250,000 to N700,000; for a cow, it was N800,000 to N1.2 million, almost the same as last year.
Prices of goats ranged from N120,000 upwards, depending on bargaining strength, while chickens stayed between N13,000 and N18,000.
Addressing the developments, the spokesman stated that the economy’s rebasing kept the increase at a low ebb.
He, however, noted that purchases were low as buyers who would ordinarily buy whole baskets and livestock had to wait for others to share before they could make purchases.
“The cost of transportation is too high, and most of the agriculture clusters in the Northern states are affected by insecurity.
“The government should intensify efforts on the issue of security to enable farmers to go to the farm,” he said.
Odusanya called on the governors of the Southern region to increase efforts to boost agricultural productivity, seeing that the area was relatively peaceful.
He added that the government should invest by supporting farmers in the Southern region to increase productivity all year round.
He also urged the government to address post-harvest losses and other challenges in the agro-food value chain.
“To further boost food production, farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural value chain should have access to low-interest finance.
“State governments with competitive agricultural advantage must begin exploiting their resources on all fronts to drive food sufficiency.
“Nigeria must do what it takes to increase the number of large-scale mechanised farmers and be serious with value addition to support local processing,” he said.