Prices of garri, a staple food for Nigerians, continued to crash in some Enugu markets.
A market survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in some major markets in Enugu metropolis on Saturday revealed that the prices of the white and red garri nosedived by about 36 per cent.
Some sellers said that the fall in price was due to massive production of cassava by farmers in the state.
Miss Eby Ofor, a garri seller at Akwata market, said that the price of a 4.5 litres bucket of white garri which was sold at N450 now sells at N280.
Offor added that the red garri is now sold at the cost of N350 as against the old price of N550.
“For almost four months, I have been selling a measure of white garri and red garri for N450 and N550 respectively, but now as I am talking the price has further gone down.
As at around May, it used to cost between N1,200 and N1,100,” she said.
Mr Jude Ugwueze, another garri dealer at Garki market, said that a bag of garri is now sold at N5,000 as against the previous price of N8,000.
A buyer at Ogbete Main Market, Mrs Joy Solomon expressed joy that the prices of garri has continued to fall as there was not much money in circulation.
“At least with the fall in prices of foodstuff like gari and with the little amount someone has, one can manage to feed his or her family,” she said.
Mr Romanus Eze, the Chairman of the Cassava Farmers Association, Enugu Branch said that mass production of cassava has contributed to the reduction in the price of garri.
Eze said that cassava farming activities increased tremendously in all part of the South-East States in 2017 leading to fall in the prices of garri in various markets in 2018.
