Recently the federal government put in place measures to
check the rising cost of food items in the country; one of it was the
strengthening of Naira. One of the correspondents visited some market in the
federal capital territory to check if these measures have positively affected
the prices of commodities.
According to the correspondent on this event said that with
the recession change in increased foreign exchange and inflation; the cost of food
items at that time skyrocketed to about twice its usual price in respond to the
groaning of the people, the federal government set up a food task force to
explore and recommend means of resolving some of the challenges contributing to
the increase in the food prices across the country; after which the task force
identified to the high cost of transportation and recommended that food items
be transported using rail wagons rather than trucks.
Another measure adopted by the federal government was for the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) relaxes its policy on Forex to check the exchange
rate with a dollar going for over N500 at the parallel market in the February.
In a statement, the acting Director Corporate Communications Department (CCD) ISAAC OKOROAFOR said it is
inter sustaining the tempo of liquidity in the interbank market for the sake of
different categories of NGOS, he said within the last three weeks it had
injected about two billion dollars into the economy.
In the light of this the News media
visited some market within the federal capital territory to ascertain whether
the prices of food stuff are reverted following the measures put in place. Two
traders in Garuchi international market said prices are still on the high side;
according to one the traders who said that they used to buy bag of food stuff
at the rate of N3000.00 or N4000.00
but now it is being purchased at the rate of N8000.00
to N10,000.00. The correspondent said
that the situation was different at the Wuse market as the market trader said that there is really
decrease in the price some of food stuff. A trader from Wuse market said that Red
oil gallon was N 45,000.00 but now it
is N 7,500. Other traders from both
market also said that the price of Garri was so increasing, one of them said he
usually buy a bag of Garri N 11,000.00
but the one he bought two days ago was N
16,500.00. According another trader who said that the price of Garri as of last
two months was better than now.
On how to ensure sustainable
agriculture production in the country, a professor of Soul Science University
of Benin, Edo State, PROFESSOR ROBERT
ORE said explained there was a need to proper
implementation of agreed policies to ensure a genuine farmers gets what is
given them rather than focusing on foreign partnership. PROFESSOR ROBERT to reduce prices of food stuff, everyone should be
involved in agriculture. According to PROFESSOR
ORE who said there is need to assist and support farmers, and he said that if
at the time of producing rice and you visit Kebbi, Sokoto, Edo and Delta State, rice is being filled the
whole arm of the every nuke and cranny of the state.
Also a consultant MR. SHINA AGBERO explained that for
reduction of cost of food stuff to be sustainable, a holistic approach that
focuses not only on food prices but the overall cost of production had to be
adopted. According the consultant who said that we need to look into the
production; the professional stressed the need to put in place adequate
measures to ensure food processes and storage for year round distribution.
NEWS REPORTER: ONYIA EMEKA HARFORD
CONTACT: +2348186388641
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