Worries of Housewives

Fri, Jul 19, 2013

By publisher

3 MIN READ

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Sharp increases in prices of fruits and food items during Ramadan fast is a big worry to Lagos housewives

|  By Chinwe Okafor  |  Jul. 29, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT

BEATRICE Akudo, a housewife, is deeply worried over growing increases in the prices of food items and fruits at the Ojuwoye Market, Mushin. The situation, according to her, is becoming unbearable. What is most disturbing is that a small pineapple that sold previously for N100 is now N200 and a medium-sized basket of tomatoes, which cost N6,000 before now sells for N12,000. “Every time the Muslims observe their Ramadan fast, prices of fruits and food items increase astronomically, while some of the other items become unaffordable. We are then left with no option than to buy the food items at the prevailing high costs,” she said.

Ginika Madu, another housewife, said that before now she used to buy a small-sized tin of beans for between N180 and N200 but it has increased to N300 while a small-sized cabbage which sold for N200 or N250 before is now sold for N350. Even though the increase in the prices of the food items is very sharp, we must eat especially as medical doctors advise us to take fruits and balanced diet at all times,” she said.

All these are aftermath of the ongoing Ramadan fast, which started on July 10, 2013 and will last for 30 days.  Prices of fruits and other basic food items like beans, yam, pepper, tomatoes, onions and maize have increased by 40 percent.

At Mile 12, Oyingbo, Oshodi and Ojuwoye food markets, prices of fruits and food items have increased by nearly the same percentage. Rukayat Abiodun, a food stuff seller, said she was unable to buy the two bags of rice she usually buys because of the price increases. “I could only buy half bag of rice and beans to resell, whereas I usually buy two bags on a weekly basis to resell. It is because of Ramadan that food items are expensive and it is usually like that since most of the foodstuffs we sell come from the North. We also resell at the price they give to us in order to make profits,” she said.

Taibat Borokini, the secretary, Ojuwoye Market, Mushin, attributed the recent increase in food prices to insecurity in the North. Borokini admitted that many people had complained about the increase in the price of basic food items. Most food items like pepper, tomatoes, onions, ginger were brought from the North, and the security situation there has also made things difficult.