Prices of foodstuff have continued to drop in Yobe markets as farmers in the state began experiencing bumper harvest.
Our correspondent, who went round grain market in Damaturu, reports a decline in the prices of millet, sorghum, beans, sesame seeds, rice and groundnut.
In the market, farmers were seen offloading assorted grains for merchants that make bulk purchases.
A merchant, Mala Kadai, said a 100 kilogram of sorghum was now being sold at N7,000 as against N12,000 before, while the price of millet crashed from N12,000 to N10,000.
He said the price of 100kg bag of maize, that sold at N10,000 before, had now dropped to N9,000, while the price of sesame seed also dropped from N33,000 to N27,000.
“The price of red beans has also crashed from between N35,000 and N36,000 to N26,000 within two weeks,” he added.
Another merchant, Yunusa Mamman, attributed the sudden fall in the price to what he called “hoarders miscalculation’’.
He said last year, many farms dried up because rainfall stopped abruptly before grains matured leading to shortages.
“So when Yobe experienced delayed rainfall this season, many grain merchants locked up their stores in anticipation of drought spell.
“The rainfall later got steady and bumper harvest followed. Hoarders are now selling at a loss,” he said.
Malam Ya’u Musa, a farmer in Damaturu attributed the bumper harvest to steady rainfall and the availability of fertilizer and other farm inputs.
He said the steady rains had protected the crops from pests and infestation, while the fertilizer provided the better yield.
Source: Daily trust
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