Consumers across markets in Kaduna have lamented rising food prices, saying the situation has forced them to reduce consumption and buy food in smaller quantities.
A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sabo, Narayi, Kakuri and Ungwan Boro markets showed that many households could no longer afford bulk purchases.
Some consumers who previously bought rice and beans in half or quarter bags said they now bought them in smaller quantities.
At Sabo Market, Rebecca Joseph said her monthly food budget had doubled, yet she could afford only a few items due to inflation.
“I came with N30,000 to buy rice, beans and garri for two weeks, but what I bought cannot take my family for one week,” she said.
She added that she now mixed rice with more beans and bought cheaper broken rice to manage household expenses.
Another buyer, Sani Bello, a civil servant, said his salary could no longer sustain his family.
“My salary is N80,000, and things are costly. We now eat once a day and my children take garri to school,” he said.
Bello expressed hope that food prices would drop as farmers began harvesting their crops and urged governments at all levels to address the hardship facing Nigerians.
Some traders also confirmed a decline in patronage due to rising prices and economic hardship.
Hadiza Lawal, a grain seller, said customers were no longer patronising her business as they did previously.
Lawal, who sources rice from major dealers in Kebbi and Kano and beans from Funtua, Gusau and Sheme, said her sales had dropped significantly.
“Before, I sold more than 10 bags in a week, but now I struggle to sell two bags.
“A bag of foreign rice which was N75,000 in January is now N125,000, and beans moved from N45,000 to N130,000 because of fuel and bad roads,” she said.
She added that wholesalers who travelled to villages to buy directly from farmers now paid between N40,000 and N60,000 for transportation, compared with the previous N15,000.
At the vegetable section, buyers also complained about the high cost of perishable produce.
Grace Simon, a vegetable seller who sources supplies from wholesalers in Jos, Zaria and Kujama, said consumers now pooled money to buy vegetables they previously purchased individually.
“Three women will put N500 each to buy one heap of Ugu for N1,500; that’s what one woman used to buy alone.
“I bought a basket of Ugu for N12,000 from Jos. The transport alone is N8,000, so I must add it to the price,” she said.
She attributed the scarcity to harmattan conditions and the high cost of fertiliser, which she said farmers now bought for N45,000 per bag.
Blessing Sunday, a mother of four, said she had stopped cooking egusi soup regularly because of its rising cost.
“I used to cook egusi twice a week, now we manage groundnut soup.
“I came with N10,000 for egusi and crayfish, but I could only buy half mudu of egusi for N5,500,” she said.
Kabiru Musa, a seller of egusi, ogbono and crayfish sourced from dealers who buy from farmers in Lafia, Otukpo and Ikom, said the prices of the commodities had doubled.
“A mudu of egusi that was N2,800 last year is now N5,500; ogbono is N7,000 per mudu, crayfish is N6,500. Buyers now buy in N200 and N500 wraps,” he said.
At Kakuri abattoir, meat buyers also complained about rising prices.
Tina Okoro, who buys meat weekly for her food business, said she now uses more bones than flesh to cut costs.
“A kilo of meat was N4,500 last year and now N7,000. I used to buy five kilos, but now I buy two kilos and add plenty of crayfish and seasoning to make soup taste,” she said.
A meat seller, Danladi Suleiman, who buys cows from livestock markets in Anchau and Giwa, attributed rising meat prices to the high cost of feeding and transporting cattle from villages amid insecurity.
Aisha Mohammed, a yam seller who sources her produce through middlemen travelling to Saminaka, Kachia, Makarfi and Niger State, said insecurity had forced traders to abandon shorter routes.
“100 tubers of big yams which was N150,000 last season is now N280,000, while small ones cost N120,000.
“The boys who go to villages no longer go through shortcuts that pass through bush paths because of kidnappers.
“They go round through Kafanchan, so they have to add fuel money to yam price,” she said.
Peter Ayuba, a buyer, said he previously bought 20 large yam tubers for N50,000, but now paid N45,000 for 10 small tubers.
