Ramadan: Foodstuff price stabilises in Ilorin

Ramadan period is usually accompanied by either scarcity and, or hikes in the prices of basic food commodities but this time, it is rather exceptional. A survey by Pilot Business to major markets within the Ilorin Metropolis, which include Mandate Ultramodern Market, Oja-Tuntun, Oja-Oba, Ipata, Obbo Road and Yoruba Road, indicate that there was no hike in price of foodstuff despite the approach of Ramadan. Speaking with Pilot Business, a foodstuff seller, Mrs. Bimbo Shola, who owns Bulkaino Concept Supermarket in Mandate market, said "my expectation for customers to patronise us is not high when compared to the previous Ramadan period. "Civil servants are yet to collect their salary therefore there is no money and as you can observe, the market is empty." According to her, the increment in foodstuff was done some months ago as the dollars triggers against the naira. She said "we are even looking for customers to buy our rice, beans, sachet tomatoes and other ingredients at normal rates but there are no customers." Another trader, an Hausa-man, Musa Abdulkadir, who sells rice and beans said "we are selling a bag of rice as usual N8,000 and beans at N14,000; there is no hike." The market women leader, popularly called Iya-loja at Mandate Market, Hajia Hasfat Dare, who sells soft-drinks, reiterated that prices of commodities are stabilised despite Ramadan season approach. At Oja-Tuntun, a vegetable seller, Mr. Shehu Maikano said "we are buying a basket of tomatoes at N20,000, which was N8,000 before." He however stressed that the Ramadan season is not responsible for rise in price of tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables. Maikano said "there was no enough rainfall, so the farmers harvest were in small quantities this year and the cost of transporting from the north is also a factor that affects the hike in prices." A frozen-food seller at Yoruba Road, Hajia Maimunat Olasunkanmi, stressed that a cartoon of turkey remains N8,500 while that of chicken is N8,000 as usual. At Ipata-Market, a renowned butcher Unionist, Alhaji Oba Elegede, said "there is low turn-out of customers in the market but the prices of beef remain the same". He said "the price of buying a cow ranges from N60,000 to N100,000, depending on its quality as usual, while beef per kilo goes for N1,000." Elegede calls for government support in transforming Kwara Abattoir to a world standard with regards to hygienic consideration.