• 100kg bag of rice hits N150, 000
• Resort to alternatives as prices of rice, beans skyrocket

Resident of Kaduna State have cried out to the Federal Government to actualise the state of emergency promised the sector, as food scarcity and rising prices of agricultural products worsen daily.

Investigations show that staples such as rice and beans are becoming increasingly scarce and unaffordable, exacerbated by wholesalers hoarding supplies.

Traders in markets such as Sheikh Gumi and Kasuwan Dole are reportedly struggling to restock owing to the high costs set by off-takers, making it difficult to maintain their businesses.

The Guardian observed that some raw food stores at Sheikh Gumi and Kasuwan Dole markets are virtually empty. Customers who come to buy staple foods like rice, beans, and garri often leave empty-handed or seek alternatives.

The traders said they are not to blame for the soaring food prices, as they do not have control of the prices set by suppliers. They added that they are only selling their stock with minimal or no profit just to stay in business.

Usman Aminu, a trader at Sheikh Gumi market, stated that he has not been able to restock his shop for the past two weeks after selling his old stock of rice and beans at old prices. “A 100kg bag of rice now costs N150, 000, while beans fluctuate between N170, 000 and N180, 000.

“I will restock when prices come down.  There is no way I can order for new items, because I will be running my business at a loss,” he added.

Similarly, Mrs. Betty Achadu, who sells rice and maize at Kasuwan Dole market, noted that she could no longer afford buying in large quantities, but only selling the little she has in stock to stay in business.

According to Achadu, “residents are increasingly turning to alternatives like maize and sweet potatoes, but even these are becoming unaffordable. A bushel of local rice has risen from N1, 900 last month to N2, 500, and beans from N1, 750 to N2, 700. A bag of maize now costs N82, 000, and a sack of sweet potatoes is N40, 000.”

Mrs. Maryam Shuaibu, a single mother of four and a private school teacher, expressed frustration after leaving Kasuwan Dole market empty-handed. She could not afford to buy food items with the N10, 000 she had.

Shuaibu urged the Federal Government to actualise the state of emergency on food, release food stocks at affordable rates, and address the severe food insecurity before it leads to unrest.

Abdulazeez Nura, another resident of Kaduna, attributed the scarcity of food to insecurity. He tasked government on adequate provision of security, farming inputs for farmers within the Northwest to boost agricultural productivity. “Only the Northwest can feed the entire country if the government is serious,” he added