Our Correspondents
24 April 2008
Lagos — The food crisis which has ravaged some countries across the globe may not be too far from Nigeria, given the rate at which prices of staple foods have been on the rise daily.
Rising food prices have already sparked off huge crisis in Haiti, Egypt, Senegal and Ivory Coast, among others.
THISDAY investigation across the states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, revealed that prices of staple food stuffs have witnessed swift increases in the last couple of weeks.
It was learnt that the food prices shot up in the country early March and have continued to be on the rise.
The reason for the rising prices is not too clear yet but food experts said climatic change, drought in some parts of the North, fuel scarcity experienced recently in some states and what they called government's "inconsistent policies" were partly responsible for the price surge.
They also said the price situation has a bandwagon effect following the rising global food prices.
The food crisis had taken a centre stage at the recent International Monetary Fund /World Bank Group Spring Meeting in Washington DC.
Food experts said government needed to intervene decisively to stem the rising food prices.
Already, the Federal Min-istry of Agriculture and Water Resources has said it had put measures in place to forestall any food shortage in the country as being anticipated.
Mr. Kingsley Agha, Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma, told THISDAY that part of the measures included early distribution of fertilizers for the 2008 programme.
It was also learnt that government has started to release foodstuff from the National Strategic Food Reserves to forestall the imminent crisis.
The government decided to step in "to cushion the effect of high prices of food commodities on the public".
THISDAY checks in Lagos and across the states revealed that prices of almost all the food items have almost doubled.
At the popular Mile 12 food market, one of the largest food markets in Africa, prices of food stuffs have gone up.
A rice dealer at the market, Kingsley Uzo from Ebonyi State, said a bag of 'Aroso' rice which was sold for N7,500 last month now costs about N9,400, while a bag of 'Merry Christmas' rice, is now sold for N9,500, as against N8,000 last month.
At Anjorin market, Apapa, Lagos, the story is the same.
"Government should come and save us from this situation. We don't know why we are facing these challenges at this period of time in Nigeria. People find it difficult to survive as a result of high cost of food stuff," Alhaja Riskatu Bello, who sells food stuff at the market, cried out.
The price of beans, which are basically of two species, 'Olotu' and 'Oloyin', has also gone up.
According to Uzo, 'Oloyin' beans, which bag is usually smaller than 'Olotu' now sells for N7, 500 and N9, 000 respectively, as against the previous N5,500 and N7,000.
But the main reason why the price of rice should skyrocket astronomically is still a mystery to Uzo.
"I have been in this business for more than 30 years and we have never experienced this kind of thing. When we buy foodstuff at G-Cappa, we load and off-load them with about N20, plus the high cost of transportation. There is enough and different types of rice in the market, but why price is soaring high we don't know," she said.
For yam sellers, it is also the same story.
Muhammed Muhammed from Sokoto State, who has been in the yam business for more than 10 years, said 10 tubers of yam which used to sell for N2,000 are now being sold for between N2,800 and N3,000.
Alhaji Umaru Abubakar, however, attributed the hike in price to the fuel scarcity that almost engulfed the whole country recently.
But if the prices of other foodstuff are going up, the cost of 'garri', whether white or yellow, however, remains the same, according to another grain dealer, who simply gave his name as Aguiyi from Ebonyi State.
The grain dealer who has a shop at Oniyanri Street, Mile 12, said for now the cost of 'garri' still remains the same.
For yellow 'garri', the price is still N3,000 per bag while white garri, popularly known as Bendel Garri, is sold at about N2,800 and 'Garri Ijebu' is sold at N3,000 per bag due to its popular demand.
The situation is also the same across the states and FCT, Abuja.
A survey conducted at the popular Wuse Market, in FCT, Abuja, showed that almost every food item has been affected by the phenomenon.
A bag of rice, which cost N8, 000 two weeks ago, has jumped to N12,000 while a half bag sold for N3,800 has moved to N5,600.
Similarly, a 'mudu' of brown beans, which sold for N120 now costs N160, just as white beans also has moved up from N80 to N120.
The change in price has also affected other food items such as palm oil, groundnut oil and plantain.
Mallam Yaro Mohammed, a trader at the market, expressed dismay at the situation but could not confirm whether the price rise had any correlation with the global trend.
Prices of basic food items in Kaduna and its environs have also continued to be on the increase.
For instance in major markets within the Kaduna metropolis, the price of a 100kg bag of maize, which used to cost N3,500 two months ago, now sells for N6,500.
A bag of 100kg of melon which sold for N15,000 before now goes for N25,000, while 1,000 tubers of yams that used to cost between N3,500 and N5,000 now costs about N15,000 while a bag of imported 50kg rice that used to cost N6,000 now goes for N10,000.
Executive Director of the Kaduna-based Admiralty Environmental Care (AEC), Mr. Shederack Madlion, blamed the situation on the climate change experienced in some Northern states last year.
He observed that most of the foods consumed in the country were grown in the North and recalled that there were floods and draught last year which affected food cropping in some states such as Jigawa, Kebbi, Adamawa, Katsina, Kano and Borno.
He also blamed the situation on government's inconsistency policy, which, according to him, does not have clearly define strategies for supporting food production by rural farmers and promoting strategic food reserves.
In Enugu State, the prices of most foodstuff have in the past two months gone up by more than 50 per cent.
For instance, the price of a bag imported rice sells for N10,500 as against N6,500 it sold about two months ago.
But the worst hit in the state is beans, which now sells for N12,000 and N13,000, a bag depending on the brand.
The price was between N7,000 and N8,000 (iron and patasco) as it is called in the Eastern part of the country.
Local rice (Abakiliki and Adani product), which used to sell for N4,000 a bag as at last year, now sells for N8,000 as the demand has increased following the high cost of imported rice.
Meanwhile, rice prices have scaled fresh heights in Asian trade amid concern that export bans by key producers will hit supply, bbc.co.uk reported yesterday.
Rough rice for July delivery touched $24.745 per 100lb for the first time, before falling slightly.
Curbs are in place in India and Vietnam to protect domestic supply and there are fears that Thailand, the world's largest producer, could follow suit.
The international price of rice - a staple food for half the world - has risen about 68 per cent since the beginning of the year, the website also reported.
The prices of soybeans, corn and wheat have also been marching higher and are currently near their all-time peaks.
A combination of high fuel costs, bad weather and land allocated to biofuels is constraining food supply. At the same time, producer countries are seeking to conserve food for their own people by curtailing exports.
But Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thailand would continue to be known as the "world's kitchen", as the government considers using abandoned government land to increase agricultural output.
Thailand's Office of Agriculture Economics projected that rice production after milling would be 20.4 million tonnes from this year's crop, with 55 per cent for domestic consumption and the remainder for export.
Thailand produced 19.6 million tonnes last year.
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