Onion prices have risen by over 200 per cent in Lagos, causing concern among traders and consumers.

The residents expressed their concerns in separate interviews on Sunday in Lagos.

They said the sharp increase had made onions scarce and a luxury many Nigerians could hardly afford.

A bag of onions now sells between N150,000 and N250,000, depending on the size or variety, compared with N50,000 to N70,000 recorded in May.

Musa Muhammed, a wholesaler at Cole Street, Oyingbo, attributed the increase to the high cost of transporting onions from the north to Lagos.

Mr Muhammed said scarcity in Sokoto and other parts of the north, occasioned by the current planting season, had contributed to the price increase.

He added that flooding that devastated onion farms in key producing states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Adamawa, contributed to the development.

He said the cargo charge for transporting a bag of onions had risen to N30,000, excluding transportation costs to Lagos.

“I had to increase my price so I could recover my money.

“We sold a paint bucket of onions at N3,000 in May, but now the same quantity sells for N10,000.

“Also, due to the perishable nature of the produce, I preserve the onions by spreading them in the sunlight or keeping them in an uncovered basket.

“I really don’t know how we can get onions all year round without scarcity and frequent hikes, but I hope we always have the produce for sale,” Mr Muhammed said.

Vivian Isoken, a consumer at Ijegun, Ikotun, attributed the high cost to inadequate agro-machinery available to local farmers.

According to her, other countries do not experience shortages of onions and other produce because they are more advanced in agricultural technology and machinery.

Another resident in the Agege area of the state, Beatrice Oladiran, said the sudden increase in onion prices was often seasonal.

“This is the planting season for onions; during the rainy season, there are usually no onions.

“Also, the pressure of constant fuel price hikes has contributed to the price increase of produce and other agricultural commodities.

“We usually have enough onions during the dry season.

“The reason other states have more onions than Lagos is because they are the ones who plant.

“We don’t have enough farmland here in Lagos to cultivate certain agricultural produce,” Ms Oladiran said.

She said she adopted preservation measures such as removing onions from their purchase bags and avoiding exposure to rain.

She said a small bag of onions sold for between N17,000 and N20,000 in March but now costs between N60,000 and N70,000.

“Not everybody has the funds to buy onions again,” Ms Oladiran said.

Another trader at Oyingbo under-bridge, known as Malam Usman, also confirmed the price increase and said he still sold old onions.

“The new onions are prone to spoilage easily; that’s why I still sell the old onions, even though they are expensive.

“We really have no special way of preserving onions. We just make sure they are exposed to adequate air and ventilation to extend their shelf life during storage,” Mr Usman said.

Also, Mary Udonwa, a consumer and resident of Ajegunle, said she had reduced her onion consumption because of the price increase.

“I had to reduce my consumption of onions due to the current hike in its price, despite being a lover of the condiment.

“I will increase my consumption of onions when the price is more stable,” Ms Udonwa said.

(NAN)