With just less than three
days to Christmas, prices of food stuffs in some markets across its Port Harcourt and environs have skyrocketed.
Investigations by The Tide especially at the fruits and vegetables markets in Port Harcourt revealed that prices of some of the major staples have increase.
Five litres of groundnut oil now sell for N3,500 as against between N1500 and N2000.
Also, palm oil which was sold for between N14,000 for 25 litres now goes for as much as N25,000.
A crate of egg that went between N700 and N750 now stands at N1000.
The Tide further gathered that a bag of foreign rice costs above N25,000 at the market.
Honey beans goes for N1800 per rubber as against N1400 and N1500 a few weeks back. Some of the traders who spoke to The Tide over the development said it may not be unconnected with the present economic down turn.
According to a palm oil seller, Mrs Stella Ukachukwu, “I just bought 25 litres of red palm oil at the rate of N25,000 and that means of litre is N1000”.
She explained that before now, the small ragolis of the product was N150 but now goes for N800.
Ukachukwu who also deals on groundnut oil explained that the product has become alarmingly expensive.
She said even the commonest brands of the from N1800 to N3500 for the five litre container. Explaining further, she said even the sachet of groundnut oil has gone up from N400 to N800 per unit.
The Tide reports that traders jack up their prices at festive periods even when their products are of old stock, a situation blamed on the inability of the government to effect price control over products and services in the country.