Reports indicate that a large sack of onions now costs ₦260,000, while a smaller sack is being sold for ₦200,000 in Kano, a state considered one of the major producers of onions.
Last year, around this time, despite the high cost, a small bag of onions did not exceed ₦50,000, while a large bag was sold for between ₦90,000 to ₦100,000.
But what could be responsible? This is the question posed by DAILY POST to the President of the Onion Farmers Association in Kano, Mustapha Adam, who stated that the price surge is due to several reasons.
He explained, “First, there’s the issue of climate change, which caused excessive rainfall during this year’s farming season, washing away a significant portion of the onions that were planted. Secondly, the flooding that affected Maiduguri in Borno State also contributed to the shortage as many onion farmers in the area were impacted,” he said.
Adam further added, “The high cost of fuel is another factor responsible for the increase because many farmers cannot afford to purchase fuel to power their irrigation machines.”
He called on the federal government to emulate the initiative of the Borno State government, which introduced the sale of subsidized fuel to farmers to enable them to farm effectively, thereby ensuring adequate food supply.
A food vendor at Kwari Market, Kano Metropolitan, Malama Talatu, said the high cost of onions is making things very difficult for them.
“Cooking requires onions, yet we cannot increase food prices because of the level of poverty in the society. All we can do is pray. Leaders need to fear God and help the masses before their time runs out,” she said