Agricultural Goods Prices, Services Remain High After Xmas

The prices of consumer goods and services have remained very high even after the 2023 Christmas season and celebration.
Investigations by The Tide shows that the country has continued to experience hike in the prices of all commodities, thereby leading to financial pressure on consumers and families in recent times.
A visit to major markets in Port Harcourt  such as Mile 3, Town Market, Rumuokoro and Rumumasi by The Tide after the Yuletide reveals that prices of food items, imported and local beverages remained high.
The cost of fresh tomatoes, pepper, yam , potatoes, cocoa yam and plantain slightly dropped by 0.05%.
The prices of 50 kg bag of stone free quality rice, such as Big Bull, Mama Gold and Mango, remained the same between #53,000 to #57,000, while the low quality ones can be gotten at #45,000.
The prices of perishable products have not changed: garri, a staple food and product from cassava is still #5,000 and above per basin, for the lower quality, and #7,000 and above for the higher quality.
A kilogram of frozen turkey still sells for #4,000 While the price of full frozen chicken still goes between #4,000 to #4,500, and between #7,000 and #9,000 for the larger ones such as broilers
A life chicken still sells for between #4,500 to #20,000 depending on the size..
Apart from the aforementioned items, further investigations showed that the price of virtually every item has gone up from the point of production to the final retailer.
Expressing disappointment on the market prices, a trader at Mile 3  market, Mrs. Ngozi Onuoha, said the prices of items cannot come down due to the high cost of petroleum products.
She noted that high cost of transportation has so much affected the cost of things in the market, adding, “expecting the prices to come down when the prices of fuel remains high is a mirage.
“The leaders do not care for the masses. There problem is their pockets and because they don’t even pay for what they consume, the prices does not matter to them.
Another business woman, Mrs Ifeoma Enyi, said the prices of products went up before the Christmas season and will continue to rise if the leaders would not take time to address the main causes of suffering in the country.
“Our economy is under pressure because of debt and bad leadership. We are naturally blessed by God, but countries without natural endowment are better than us”, she said.

By: Lilian Peters