He highlighted that the ministry’s presidential priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda is to boost agriculture to achieve food security.
The National Bureau of Statistics says prices of rice, garri, tomato, beans, yam and other food items increased in April 2024.
The minister reiterated the commitment of the government to further expand the investment space in the Nigerian economy.
The area comptroller said the seized items had adverse effects on the well-being of the citizenry, especially the cannabis sativa, pneumatic tyres and foreign rice.
“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 4.79 per cent from the N1,177.93 recorded in February 2024.”
Many were seen with umbrellas trooping into the market to buy the discounted food items.
NBS said the average price of 1kg of boneless beef increased by 49.41 per cent, from N2,445.96 in February 2023 to N3,654.56 in February 2024.
The discount markets for foodstuffs (Ounje Eko) are part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s measures to cushion the effect of the removal of petrol subsidies.
Mr Ugwu said the exportation of the commodity had affected the availability of the produce in the country.
The federal government says smallholder farmers remain the backbone of the country’s agricultural sector.
