Ramadan: Prices of essential commodities increase in Jalingo

Residents in Jalingo, the capital city of Taraba State have expressed dismay over the increase in prices of essential commodities three days into the 2023 Ramadan fasting. A market survey revealed that the prices of rice, beans, sugar, millet, palm oil, and cooking oils have gone up. For instance, a measure of locally processed rice which sold for N1,100 before the beginning of the fasting now goes for between N1,500 and N1,700. Similarly, the price of sugar which sold at N1,500 last week now goes from N1,700 to N1,800. The prices of fruits, vegetables, and eggs among several other items have also gone up.

Saidu Bello, a resident of Jalingo accused traders of increasing the prices, adding that it had always been their practice. He noted that Ramadan is a special month for Muslims, and the traders should lower their prices, but in Jalingo, traders always take advantage of Ramadan to exploit people. In contrast, a trader, Yakubu Sani, said that it was not true that traders used the fasting period to exploit people, explaining that the increases were a result of increases by dealers and the cost of transportation.

Several residents have called on the state government to intervene by monitoring the activities of traders and sanctioning those found to be hiking the prices of essential commodities.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Taraba State Chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Abubakar Fikpo, attributed the increase in the price of rice to the high cost of inputs, including fuel, fertilizers, and chemicals, among others. He also noted that the cost of transportation has contributed to the hike in the price of the commodity.

Meanwhile, a consumer protection group, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has warned traders against increasing the prices of essential commodities during the Ramadan fasting period. In a statement, the CPC Director-General, Babatunde Irukera, warned traders to desist from the act, adding that any trader found to be increasing prices during Ramadan will be sanctioned.

The CPC also urged consumers to report any trader found to be increasing the prices of essential commodities during Ramadan. The council advised consumers to be mindful of their spending during the fasting period and purchase only essential commodities.

With the hike in the prices of essential commodities during Ramadan, residents of Jalingo and other parts of Taraba state are hoping for an intervention from the state government to ensure that traders do not exploit the people during the holy month of Ramadan.