.As Cost Of Beans Price Crashes By Over 100% Amid  Increased Yields

Prices of various food items have surged in different markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey reveals.

NAN reports that the development has caused a strain on both traders and consumers, as many households say they are now finding it difficult to feed,

Checks by NAN correspondents at various markets in the FCT and environs on Sunday, reports that the astronomical price rise affected all markets including those located at the satellite towns.

NAN reports that both traders and consumers lamented the impact of the hike on their businesses and lifestyle, while calling for urgent government intervention to regulate prices.

At the popular Orange market located at the Abuja-Keffi road referred to as the ‘hub of bulk food market’, a basket of tomatoes which sold between N25,000 and N35,000 in May was during the visit sold between N65,000 and N75,000.

A big bag of onions which sold for between N15,000 to N25,000 in May was now being sold for between N45,000 and N50,000 while a dustbin basket of onions sold for between N2,500 and N3,000 in May was now being sold for between N5,500 and N6,000.

At Wuse market, a small dustbin basket of tomatoes sold for between N5,000 to N7,000 in March was now being sold between N12,000 and N15,000.

A dustbin basket of pepper which sold for N10,000 in March now went for N17,000 while the same measure of tatashe was now being sold for between N20,000 and N22,000 as against N15,000 sold in March.

A big sized tuber of yam was now being sold at Wuse market for N8,000 each, while a small sized one now went for N4,500.

At Utako market, a dustbin basket of sweet potatoes formally sold between N1,500 and N2,000 was now being sold between N3,000 and N4,500.

A dustbin basket of onions at the same market was now being sold for between N6,500 and N7,500 as against N4,000 and N5,000 sold in May.

At Apo fish market, traders decried low patronage due to the price hike.

Mr Idris Ahmed, a vegetable seller at the Apo market said he had cultivated the attitude of selling almost below his coat price just to turn-over and attract more customers.

He lamented that most of his customers now purchased things on credit paying up in two or three installments depending on the amount.

”With the low influx of customers to the market today, one will think that this is not even weekend.

“Some of my co-traders in the market sell a dust bin basket of tomatoes for between N14,000 and N17,000 but I sell for N12,000.

“A dust bin basket of pepper, tatashe and shombo goes for N18,000, N16,000 and N17,000 respectively while sweet potatoes goes for N3000.

“Most of my customers who manage to come to the shop either want the price of the items slashed or want to buy the product on credit and I do not blame them,” he said.

He urged the government to come to the aid of citizens and find a lasting solution to the increasing cost of food items in the market.

At Gwagwalada market, a basket of pepper which sold between N15,000 in May had now increased to N17,000.

Madam Alheri Yohanna, a pepper seller, lamented that the price of a small paint bucket of tomatoes had increased from N4,500 last week to N6,000.

According to her, customers no longer buy in large quantities like before; everything is expensive, and people are managing.

“Sometimes I go home without selling up to N5,000,” she lamented.

Similarly, Hassan Husseini, a trader, said the price of a basket of onions had risen from N4,000 to N7,500.

Husseini said that a basket of Irish potatoes which previously sold for N12,000 was now being sold for N14,000.

Mrs Rebecca Terve, a consumer, said the sharp increase in food prices had made it difficult for her to feed her family of five.

Terve appealed to the government to address the factors contributing to the price hike, especially the cost of transportation to help stabilise the market and boost patronage.

Ms Ifeoma Atuegwu a customer and single mother of three children said that her standard of living was dropping on a daily basis.

Atuegwu, who said she could no longer meet up with the cost of some of the basic required nutrients in her children’s meal like protein, said they had resorted to eating without them.

However, prices of bags of rice had dropped in the markets while the price of bag of garri had remained stable.

A bag of rice at Nyanya, Wuse and Utako markets formerly sold between N80,000 and N87,000 was now being sold between N70,000 and N77,000 depending on the brand.

Mr Raphael Ogodo, a rice seller, said the drop in the price of rice would not be unassociated with the intervention on the product by the government.

Ogodo appealed for the same intervention on other food items to help drop their prices.
Similarly, the Cowpea and Beans Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (C&BFPMAN) has highlighted high harvest yields among others as the reasons for the drop in the price of the produce in the country.
The President of  C&BFPMAN and some traders disclosed the reasons for the price drop in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
NAN reports that as of the second and third quarters of 2024, the price of beans increased astronomically to between N210,000 and N240,000 for 100kg as against N90,000 it was being sold in 2023.
However, from the first quarter of 2025, the produce witnessed a steady decline in its price.
A bag of 100kg currently sells between N80,000 and N120,000 depending on the species.
Speaking on the reasons for the drop in the price of the produce, Mr Kabir Shuaibu, C&BFPMAN President, said the increased harvest from the cultivation is the reason for the drop in price.
“We are glad the price of beans and cowpeas in general has dropped since the harvest from last year. We harvested over 10 times what we usually harvested in the past years.
“The main reason for the drop in price is the increase we got from our cultivation. This implies that with increased supply of the produce, the prices will drop.
“The reason for the hike in the price of beans last year was due to the poor harvest in the previous year.
“You can imagine a farmer who planted in a hectare of land and expecting 10,000 bags of beans but was only able to harvest and could only get a few bags due to flooding.
“The situation of beans hike we witnessed last year was one we had not experienced in the sector for the past 10 years. We hope it does not recur,” Shuaibu said.
He noted that in the most recent harvest of beans and cowpeas, an hectare of land produced triple of its usual harvest of 10,000 bags, hence the crash in the price of the produce.
“Another reason for the surplus in the harvest of beans this year is that farmers did not take chances. While cultivating corn, they also planted beans and cowpeas along the rows, hence the increased harvest and subsequent drop in price of the produce.
“Currently, a bag beans up North costs between N80,000 and N120,000 depending on the species you are buying. As of this time last year, due to the poor harvests, the same bag sold between N210,000 and N240,000.
“We do hope for continued increased harvest in the sector as it benefits both the farmers and the consumers,” he told NAN.
A wholesaler, Mrs Esther Umeileka, the Managing Director of Fresh2Home Ltd., Lagos, attributed the price drop to increased yield and less infestation of the produce as was witnessed in the previous year.
“Last year, there was a case of insect/weevils attack which affected the produce.
“So, this year, we have  a lot of produce that crashed high prices. Also,we have adjusted to  government policies.
“Another reason for the drop in the price of beans is that this year the yield from the harvests is quite high,” Umeileka said.
Another beans trader at Oyingbo market, known as Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said patronage for the produce has increased since the drop in its price.
“With the hike in the price of the produce last year, it was not easy for our customers. They just price and walk away.
“But now, everybody seems to be able to afford beans for their families again, as the price has dropped to about N6,000 to N7,000 for a paint bucket as against N13,000 to N14,000 that was sold last year,” Ahmed said.
Also, Mrs Tonia Sanwo, a consumer, expressed her joy at the drop in the price of beans which she described as an essential staple in her home.
“Last year, the price of beans was really on the high side, we were buying a small derica cup for as high as N2,000 to N2,500.
“We are really glad the price has dropped, the same quantity now sells between N800 and N1,000 depending on the species.
“We never thought the price of beans would drop from what we experienced last year,” Sanwo said.
Also speaking, Mrs Favour Braye, a civil servant, confirmed the drop in the price of the produce.
Braye attributed the development easy access to farms which resulted to increased yields.
“The price of beans has really dropped in comparison to the prices last year.
“The farmers complained that insecurity on their farms resulted in poor yields the previous year.
“However, with ease of access to their farms, the price of beans has dropped and we are all happy about it. More people can now afford beans as it is a common staple in Nigerians homes,” Braye said.