Singer Market Development Association, Kano has appealed to Dangote and Bua companies to consider cutting down prices of Sugar ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Apart from that, the grocery dealers urged the Federal Government to liberalize the participation of more manufacturers in the food industry to encourage competitiveness.
With the involvement of more players in the food industry, the cost of essential commodities will crash price while ordinary consumers will feel relief, the merchants opined.
Addressing journalists on prices of essential commodities in the market ahead of Ramadan, Chairman of the market association, Barr. Junaidu Muhammed Zakari said the two manufacturers have a responsibility to ease the pain of the common man in the country.
Though, Barr. Zakari revealed that prices of Rice, Flour, Milk, Beans and Pasta have significantly dropped in Kano following the Federal government’s waiver on some imported food items; he expressed worry over the persistently high price of Sugar in the market.
The Singer market leader hinted that despite the drop in the cost of essential commodities, the impact is less felt by the consumers due to some level of resistance on the part of retailers who had refused to cut down the prices.
He cited similar concerns on the high cost of Bread in Kano and the failure of the Master Bakers to drop their price despite the fall in the price of flour.
Zakari then called on the government to take more steps to further improve security in the country to enable farmers to cultivate their land without any fear, adding that this would further boost security.
” We commend the Federal Government for granting waivers on the importation of essential commodities such as rice, portions of pasta and noodles. This has crashed the prices of these items in the market. It is indeed a welcome development.
” Take, for instance, Rice, which was sold at about N120,000 a few months ago, now crashed to less than N80,000. A Pack of Pastas, before sold at N20,000, is now selling at N14,000 to N13,500 in the Markets.
“Even flour that was sold at N90,000 is now selling at about N70000 to N65,000 while Oil 50kg that was sold at almost N100,000 is now selling at N70,000 while Flour is now less than N70,000″.
” But we are surprised that there is no significant reduction in prices of Sugar, and that is why we appealed to the Federal Government to allow more competitiveness in the. Sugar industry.
“Allow more competent hands to refine Sugar. Why must we have two or three companies dominating the price of Sugar, flour, and pasta in Nigeria? These people unilaterally decide what the entire population pay for Sugar. It is the more reason the price continues to soar.
“We are not happy with the price situation on sugar. We see no justification for the price of sugar to keep being high. This is a commodity that is produced locally by Dangote and BUA.
“The exchange rate is also stabilizing as the rate of dollar to Naira has relatively come down. We therefore urge the producers of this essential commodity to crash the price for the benefit of consumers, especially as the Ramadan season is fast approaching,” he said.
