Residents of Warri and environs have urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to address problems facing the agricultural sector to boost production.

They noted with regret that low agricultural production was responsible for the recent outragious increases in the prices of some essential commodities in various parts of the country.They said one of such commodities was onion, which they noted, had been priced almost out of rich by dealers.

The residents blamed the increases in the prices of the commodity in the state and other parts of the country on low productivity.

Some of them told the newsmen in separate interviews that although government at all levels had continued to invest in agriculture, returns from all the investments had been dismal.

Mrs Uche Nweke, a housewife in the oil city, noted with regret that the smallest piece of onion which was formerly sold at N50 for a dozen, was currently being sold at N100 for a piece.

“How can we buy onions at such exorbitant price at this time that is supposed to be the commodity’s season?”she asked.

Nweke called for urgent intervention by government, saying: “By the time we get to the middle of the year, we may not be able to buy onions any more.”

A caterer, Mrs Helen Emakpor, said the high price of onions was affecting her business, especially in determining the rates to charge her customers for the different dishes she prepares.

“I can’t imagine that I will buy the quantity of onions I use for my business daily at N1,500 as against N500 that it used to cost me,” she added.

Emakpor said it was not certain when the price would drop, noting that the development would have made many families to stop the consumption of onion “but for its seeming necessity”.

“It is not that we cannot do without onions, but it adds flavour to food. I can’t imagine cooking without onions. How will the food and meat taste?”

A dealer in onions at Igbudu market in Warri, Mrs Kevwe Ani, said the price of the commodity was often determined by the suppliers’ rate, noting that last week alone, the price changed three times.

She declared: “‘At the beginning of the week, we bought a small bag of onions at N32,000 and by mid-week, the price dropped to N29,000 and on Friday rose to N30,000.

“We are not the cause of the high price. We only buy from traders who go to the northern parts of the country to buy and supply to us.

“The demand for the commodity has dropped, because some consumers have opted for proceesed (dried) onions.”

A dealer in dried onions, Mrs Blessing Ogbudu, confirmed that demand for the commodity had risen since the beginning of the year, saying that most customers often complained of increase in price of fresh onions.

She explained that the price of dried onions did not change, because it had already been packaged by the producers with fixed rates.

The Chairman of Onions Traders Association in Warri, Mrs Veronica Ugbeisa, told our correspondent that the reason for the high price of the commodity was due to the fact that it was being imported from Niger Republic .

She explained that dealers in the country resorted to accessing the commodity from Niger Republic due to its scarcity in the country as a result of the 2010 flood disasters in Sokoto and Adamawa, which affected several farms.

Ugbeisa noted that as the commodity became scarce in the country, the dealers decided to cross over to Niger Republic to purchase it and sell at high rates.

“We have just been informed by our suppliers in Sokoto that a small bag of onions costs N26,000.

“You can therefore imagine how much we will sell the commodity in Warri after travelling to Sokoto to buy it.

“The price can only come down when farmers harvest after the ongoing planting season,” she added.

She appealed to the government to “always assist farmers affected by any disaster,” noting that the effects of such incidents were always felt by the public who depended on them. for most of the commodities.