The prices of some foodstuffs have dropped in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.

A survey conducted by NAN in some markets in Yola, Maiduguri, and Damaturu towns indicated that the prices of some foodstuffs were lower in April compared to February and March. 

In Yola Central Market, a bag of 50kg foreign rice, which sold between N80,000 and N85,000 two months ago, now sells for between N57,000 and N58,000, while a bag of 100 kg of beans, which sold for N110,000 is now N100,000.

Guinea corn, another staple food in Adamawa, now goes for N55,000 for a 100kg bag as against N60,000 two months ago.

Suleiman Adamu, a trader in the market who deals in pasta, said a big carton of spaghetti, which sold for N13,500 two months ago, now sells for N12,800, while that of indomie, which sold at N15,000, now sells for N13,500.

Mr Adamu associated the decrease to the recent rise in the value of the naira and urged the government to sustain the tempo.

Mohammed Tukur, a lecturer at the Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yoĺa, urged the government to put in mechanisms to control the prices of essential commodities to ensure access and affordability for the citizenry.

In Yobe, a bag of 100kg white beans now costs N75,000 as against N110,000, while that of red beans goes for N95,000 as against N130,000.

Similarly, a bag of 50kg local rice has dropped from N65,000 to N45,000, while 100kg Guinea corn dropped from N60,000 to N50,000.

Abdullahi Garin-Dayi, chairman of the Grain Sellers Association in the market, said the drop could also be associated to farmers who needed cash to prepare for the next cropping season. 

At Bayan Tasha market in Damaturu, the chairman of the traders association, Alhassan Ibrahim, said a 50kg bag of local rice now sells for N45,000 against N65,000. At the same time, a bag of sugar has also dropped from N80,000 to N78,000.

Mr Ibrahim said a 25-litre jerry can of cooking oil goes for N44,000 against N60,000.

In Maiduguri, a 50kg of foreign rice goes for N70,000 against N80,000, while local rice goes for N63,000.

A 100kg bag of maize, which used to sell at N75,000, is now N64,000 while millet retains its price of N64,000, and a sack of onion, which sold for N35,000, is now between N15,000 to N15,000.

However, a basket of tomatoes sold for N9,000 two months ago has risen to N18,000, while a sack of Atargu (pepper) has increased from N52,000 to N65,000. 

(NAN)