The National Bureau of Statistics says prices of rice, garri, tomato, beans, yam and other food items increased in April 2024.

The NBS said this in its Selected Food Prices Watch report for April 2024, released in Abuja on Friday.

The report said that the average price of one kilogramme of local rice increased by 155.93 per cent from N546.76 recorded in April 2023 to N1,399.34 in April 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of local rice increased by 3.47 per cent in April from the N1,340.74 recorded in March 2024. It said the average price of 1kg of white garri increased by 134.98 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N362.50 recorded in April 2023 to N851.81 in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of white garri increased by 13.59 per cent from the N749.89 recorded in March 2024. 

The report said that the average price of 1kg of tomato increased by 131.58 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N485.10 in April 2023 to N1,123.41 in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 17.06 per cent from the N959.68 recorded in March 2024. 

The NBS said the average price of 1kg of brown beans rose by 125.43 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N615.65 in April 2023 to N1387.90 in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of brown beans increased by 12.44 per cent from N1,234.40 recorded in March 2024 to N1,387.90 in April 2024. 

In addition, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber rose by 154.19 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N444.69 recorded in April 2023 to N1,130.37 in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 5.76 per cent from N1,068.78 recorded in March 2024 to N1,130.37 in April 2024.

On state profile analysis, the report showed that in April 2024, the highest average price of 1kg of local rice was recorded in Niger at N1, 785.47, while the lowest was recorded in Benue at N993.72. It said that Bayelsa recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white garri, N1,095.26, while Benue recorded the lowest, N494.47.

The NBS said that the highest average price of 1kg of tomato was recorded in Delta at N1,851.19, while the lowest price was recorded in Zamfara at N547.22.

According to the report, Abuja recorded the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans at N2, 288.36, while the lowest was reported in Yobe at N818.03.

It said Cross River recorded the highest average price of 1kg of yam tuber, N 1,797.15, while Bauchi recorded the lowest average price, N638.64.

Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg of local rice was highest in the South-West at N1, 615.21, followed by the South-South at N1, 564.85. The lowest price was recorded in the North-West at N1, 163.13.

The South-South and South-West recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white garri at N1,031.19 and N 982.42, respectively, while the lowest price was in the North-West at N681.77.

The report said that the South-South recorded the highest average price of 1kg of tomato at N1, 689.40 followed by the South-West at N1,429.06, while the North-West recorded the lowest price at N615.54. 

The NBS also said that the North-Central and South-South recorded the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans, at N1 594.84 and N1 579.64, respectively. The North-West recorded the lowest price, at N966.9.

(NAN)