The price of essential food stuff has dropped in Daura central market due to the inaccessibility of the new Naira notes.
A market survey on Thursday, reports that a sack of grains containing 40 bowl measures which was sold at N20,000 as at the end of 2022, now sells for N14,000 in Daura central market.
Malam Ibrahim Alolo, a trader at the market, blamed the price reduction on redesigning of the naira notes because consumers prefer to make a transfer rather than give cash.
He said that onions that was sold for N3,000 in December 2022, has dropped to N1,000 while a basket of tomatoes, which was sold at N3,000 in December 2022, has dropped to N400.
Also, Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim, a trader, said that a 17-bowl measure of local rice which used to sell for N29,500 is now sold at N25,000, while a bag of maize containing 40-bowl measure which used to sell for N28,000 now sells for N16,000.
He said that the price could have been further reduced if more youths had ventured into agriculture and therefore, advised youngsters to go back to farming in order to permanently tackle food insecurity in the country.
He urged the Federal Government to rehabilitate rural roads to ease farmers’ stress in the transportation of farm produce to urban centres.
Reacting to the development, the Sarkin Noman Daura, Malam Nuradden Hassan, urged government to embark on measures that would boost food production in Katsina and Nigeria at large.
He expressed optimism that the prices of foodstuff would further drop in the coming month.
There had been a decrease also in the price of other items such as chickens, cooking oil, and red chili pepper, among others.
