Jubilation As Food Prices Crash
Prices of essential commodities like rice, flour, milk, beans, and spaghetti have crashed by over 40 per cent in Kano, following the Federal Government’s intervention.
The Chairman, of Singer Market, Junaidu Zakari, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen on Monday.
He explained that the government window gave importers opportunity to bring in some essential commodities like rice, cooking oil, and spaghetti, forcing the prices of commodities to reduce in Kano.
“There is no gainsaying that the credit truly must go to the Federal Government and indeed our marketers who adhered to the government policy of importing the stipulated commodities, making them available and resulting in the over 40 percent reduction of their prices,” he said.
Zakari noted that the removal of duties on about 43 items and the subsequent supplies of rice that were sold at N40,000 helped the marketers flood the markets .
He said rice, which was sold at about N120,000, now crashed to less than N80,000, and spaghetti which was sold at N20,000 is now selling at N14,000..
“Even flour that was sold at N90,000, is mow selling in the markets at about N70,000 while 50kg oil that was sold at almost a N100,000 is now selling at N70,000 while flour is now less than N70,000,” he added.
He said the problem they have is with sugar whose prices refused to come down but they are talking to the producers of Dangote and BUA sugar who are the major suppliers of the products.
Zakari also accused Master Bakers of refusing to reduce the prices of bread, though flour prices have been greatly reduced in all Kano markets.
“We have an association which engaged the Chairman of the Master Bakers but he told us that they can’t do otherwise because their association has only 20% of bread sellers while 80% are not their members, so they can’t control them,” he explained.
Zakari commended the Federal and Kano State Governments for ensuring that the prices of the essential commodities have greatly reduced.
