Price of onions drops

Few months ago, the price of onions hit an all-time high record due to scarcity and other factors.

But currently, the price has crashed as a result of new harvests.

An Onions farmer, Buhari Malamawa from Kwalkwalawa, a community known for onion farming, told newsmen that they used to sell a bag of onions between N60,000 and N90,000 before the new harvest.

“In the last three months, onion was like gold; the demand for it was high.

“It was very scarce at the time because of the flood disaster experienced in many states.

At that time, a bag of fresh onions was sold between N60,000 and N70,000 and the old ones were between N80,000 and N90,000, but the prices are relatively down now because fresh ones have hit our local markets,’’ he said.

Malam Kasimu Na Malam Abdul, a marketer at the popular market for perishable items, called Kasuwan Dajin, said the fluctuation of the prices was destined by God.

“The prices were up in the last few months because of the flood disaster that occurred in many states.

“And you know that natural disaster is beyond man’s control. Now it is down because God made it so by blessing our Fadama farmers with bumper harvest.

It is not our making or something we wanted, so people should stop blaming us. There was nothing we could do about it at the time,’’ he said.

Umar Usman Dandare, the secretary of Marhaba Onion Farmers and Processors Association suggested that stablising the production of onions could go a long way in controlling its prices.

“The government should ensure stability in onion production by supporting an all-round season,” he said.

According to him, onion farmers are not getting support from the government.

He, therefore, called for their involvement in the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank.

He said they were working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the price of a bag of onions is not beyond N30,000 in Sokoto and even when there is scarcity of the produce.

A survey of markets across the states, including Port Harcout, the Rivers State capital, showed that prices of the commodity would further go down in the coming days.

findings, however, showed that the price of the commodity per bag has reduced to N56,000.

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the prices of onions have also come down.

A small basket that hitherto cost N5,000 is now between N2,500 and N2,000 at the Utako and Dutse markets.

Sellers like Jabrin Abduallahi believes the prices would further come down as more harvests and supplies come from Sokoto and Kebbi states.

He, however, said the cost of transport was another factor that may determine the prices of the commodity in certain locations across the country.