As the harmattan season persists, traders in Port Harcourt are counting their numerous losses due to the dry weather.
Some of the traders particularly those who deal on fruits and vegetables told our correspondent that they had lost huge sums of money as they kept throwing away some of their goods damaged by the harsh harmattan weather.
Mrs Nwamaka Iwuchukwu, a fruit seller along Rumuogba Housing Estate Road said, “this harmattan has dealt with us. It dries the fruits especially the oranges. It makes Paw Paw look as if hot water was poured on it. This makes my customers to complain that they are not fresh fruits where as they are”.
This, she said resulted in low patronage and constant disposal of the unsold, perished items.
Mrs Florence Nwona, another trader at Fruit Garden, Kaduna Street, said she had lost thousands of Naira due to the dry weather as her fruits and vegetables dry and stink easily, making them unattractive to buyers. “there is no day I don’t take home reasonable quantity of the rejected fruits for my children and neighbours to consume.
This is minus the ones I throw away every day. It is my capital that is depreciating like that”, she said.
Another trader, Musa Ibrahim at Slaughter Market, shared the same unpleasant experience with Nwamaka and Florence but added that he usually makes up from the sale of other items like tomatoes, pepper and onions which the dry weather helps to preserve.
Meanwhile, traders in markets in Kaduna State have blamed the prevailing harmattan haze for the low patronage of their businesses.
A survey conducted by our reporter at various markets in the state capital showed that the usual high demand for goods and services in the markets had dropped drastically.
Malam Musa Adamu, a trader at Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Market, said: “The low patronage is due to the cold.
“People prefer to purchase from petty markets in the neighbourhoods rather than coming to a central business area for their needs”.
Mrs Hannatu Musa, another trader, blamed the slow pace in business activities to the refusal of traders to open their shops early enough due to the chilly weather.
“Although every trader wants to make profit, the cold has forced some of us to stay longer at home before we open our shops”, she said.

Calista Ezeaku