,,,,Call for action on price control stressed
By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
(Google/Cassava matters)
Garri, fondly regarded as the common man’s food, is steadily regaining its place on many tables in Lokoja, Kogi state,as its falling price brings relief to households in the area.
A market survey conducted by the the Correspondent of The Reporters at the International market in Lokoja on Monday showed high quality garri shedding price from N4,000 to N3,000 per a measure otherwise known as “mudu” in local language.
A market survey by The Reporters’ Correspondent at the International Market in Lokoja on Monday revealed that the price of high-quality garri has dropped from ₦4,000 to ₦3,000 per measure, popularly known as “mudu” in the local language.
A similar trend was observed in the price of local rice, which dropped sharply from ₦15,000 to ₦10,000 per large measure, while other foodstuffs such as beans, grains, and others also recorded noticeable declines in their price tags.
Some of the market women interviewed by our correspondent traced the cheering development to the fact that many people, especially civil servants and other members of the segment of population in Lokoja and its environs have engaged in farming.
This development, they noted, has yielded positive results as many families now rely more on their farm produce and less on buying food from the market with the multiplier effect on the demand and supply dynamism
Hajia Ramatu Abdullahi, a garri seller at the International Market in Lokoja, commended civil servants who have turned to farming on weekends in response to the harsh economic realities in the country.
“This effort by some civil servants has contributed, though modestly, to reducing the prices of foodstuffs. I hope and pray that the situation will continue to improve as more people heed the government’s advice to engage in small-scale farming,” she said.
Other members of the public who spoke with our correspondent on the issue urged the state government to introduce a price control mechanism to check exploitative traders who make life difficult for consumers through arbitrary hikes in the prices of foodstuffs.
They expressed optimism that if this is done, with the backing of relevant laws and strict enforcement, more families across the state will have food on their tables at affordable prices, offering residents much-needed relief from the high cost of living affecting everyone in society.
