Prices of foodstuff are rising in Taraba State despite ongoing harvest across the state.

Findings showed that the cost of fuel and high demand for farm produce were responsible for the rising prices.

Traders complain that the rise in the prices of maize, groundnut, paddy rice, cassava, yam and sesame seed, was being recorded across grain markets in the state on a daily basis.

This is the situation at Iware, Mutum Biyu, Garba Chede, Maihula, the top grain markets in the state. In less than two weeks, the price of maize has increased from N34,000 to N57,000 per 100 kg bag.

Paddy rice is now being sold for N49,000 per 100 kg bag, as against N37,0000 some few weeks back. Similarly, between September and November, the price of cassava has increased astronomically because of the demand for the crop by some industries using cassava as their raw materials.

A trader at Garba Chede grain market in the Bali Local Government Area of the state, Nuhu Maibuhu, claimed that “middlemen come from different parts of the country to make bulk purchases of farm produce on daily and weekly basis, that is why prices will continue to rise.”

On his part, a trader at Iware market at Ardo Kola LGA, Hudu Isa, attributed the persistent increase in price of food commodities to the high cost of fuel.

Mr Isa said that the high fuel price affected transportation, which in turn was affecting the landing cost of food commodities in the market.

A farmer in Mallum, Ardo Kola LGA, James Bakop, said that high cost of farm inputs and insecurity were responsible for the increase in prices of food commodities.

Mr Bako said that the high cost of fertilisers and herbicides would definitely reflect in the selling price of food commodities.

Dr Chia Azuaga of Agricultural Science Department in the Taraba State University, Jalingo, called on the government to ensure stability in the cost of farm inputs.

Mr Azuaga stated that the high cost of farm inputs had contributed significantly to the increasing cost of food products.

(NAN)