COVID-19 Lockdown: food items skyrockets in Nsukka

By Chinenyeh Ozor

Following the outbreak of corona virus COVD-19 across the globe which necessitated lockdown to stay safe in the 36 states of Nigeria, prices of food items has skyrocketed in the university community of Nsukka and it’s environs.

Vanguard reports that must markets in Nsukka has been shutdown while food sellers hike prices of food items due to breakdown of transportation to and fro border states and communities.

Vanguard survey revealed that one tin of local rice which ordinarily sell at N5,000 now sells at N8,000, one bag of beans sell at N18,000 against the former price if N11,000, guinea pea sell at N36, 000 against N24,000 per bag before the lockdown, yams are at cut throat prices as one tuber of yam sell between N500 to N700 depending on the size of the yam while one painter of garri which sells at N500 now sells at N1,500.

Meat and frozen fishes are not left out as one small portion of meat of about 10 lumps sell at N1,000 while one crooked fish sell at N800 as one carton of it sells at N20,000, floor mills also take turns in the price hike of semolina, wheat among others.

Martha Ugwu garii trader at Ogige Nsukka market said that traders finds it increasingly difficult to travel to purchase garrri while farmers couldn’t convey processed garrri to markets, saying that most of  the traders stocked goods before the lockdown order.

” we can’t purchase new processed garrri due to transportation. We are not finding it funny, the situation is helpless. We don’t even see buyers as the corona virus affected the economic situation. Everybody stayed at home hoping that the situation would change for normal business activities” she said.

Ozioko Jonathan yam dealer said that traders of yam get supply from, Benue state and Lafia  but no inter state movement any longer which forced prices of yam to hit the roof top, adding that before now one heap of yam on the average of 100 tubers sell at N25,000 depending on  size but has risen to N35,000 to N40,000 per heap.

Ugwu Nkrechi rice seller said that the spread of corona virus has hiked prices of local rice as one tin of Adani rice sell at N8,000 against N5,000

Okafor Ogbonna butcher said supply of cow doesn’t move as usual and forced prices of meat to rise.

” we hardly can buy cow now since the outbreak of corona virus and now lockdown to stay safe. Most butchers don’t go to Market due insufficient cows and goats. We get supply from the northern part of the country and now no inter state movement, everything is on standstill. We are not Happy selling meat high but we can’t help it, the situation is too bad” he noted.

Vanguard

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