Enugu residents and sellers worry over rising prices of tomatoes, pepper, and crayfish

Some residents of Enugu city, Enugu State, and food sellers are worried about the rising prices of food items, especially tomatoes, pepper, and crayfish.

During a market survey on Friday, some sellers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the high prices are due to the off-season and high transport costs.

Joe Agu, who sells tomatoes and pepper at New Akwata Market, Enugu, said a big basket of tomatoes now costs N125,000, up from N80,000 in April.

Mr Agu added that a bag of pepper now costs N75,000 compared to N50,000 in April.

Gift Ekwem, a tomato seller at Garki Market, Enugu, shared that a 4.5-litre paint bucket of tomatoes now sells for N12,000, while it was N5,000 in April.

She mentioned that some sellers do not have products in their shops because of the high prices. Some traders have stopped buying while others buy in small amounts.

Ufon Duke, who sells at Ogbete Main Market, said she can no longer afford tomatoes and pepper for resale because prices have gone too high.

Mrs Duke said she would wait for prices to drop before starting her business again, as she risks not making any profit due to low sales.

She pointed out that the high prices are linked to the off-season and the current tough economic situation in the country.

Nnena Eboh, who only sells pepper at Mayor Market, stated she no longer sells N200 pepper to customers because of the high cost of the produce.

Meanwhile, a crayfish seller at Ogbete Main Market, Irene Ozo, said a bag of crayfish now costs N350,000, rising from N320,000 in April.

Another crayfish seller at Mayor Market, who wished to remain anonymous, said a 4.5-litre paint bucket now costs N13,000, up from N11,000 in April.

Ngozi Ochi, a civil servant, described the situation as tough, saying it is increasingly hard for average Nigerians to feed their families.

Mrs Ochi said that prices of tomatoes, pepper, and crayfish have sharply increased in just one month, and she can no longer afford them.

“It surprises me how the price of tomatoes and pepper keeps rising daily; I cannot buy fresh tomatoes until prices go down,” she said.

Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said her only option now is to buy dried pepper, tin tomatoes, or palm fruits for stew until prices fall.