Prices of food items in major markets in Imo and Abia have recorded marginal drop, arising from clement weather, favourable harvest and other economic factors.
A cross-section of residents, including traders, market men and women, and civil servants, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the two states, described the development as a temporary relief.
In Owerri, the respondents said that the price drop might not be unconnected with the rainy season gradually coming to an end.
They also said that the clement weather had helped both farmers and traders to preserve certain agricultural produce, such as tomatoes and pepper, leading to minor food losses.
A trader, Gladys Azubike, said that the stability in cost of transportation also helped positively in ensuring price stability and slight reduction.
A market survey in the city shows that a basket of fresh tomatoes, sold for N40,000 last two months, dropped to N38,000 and N35,000, depending on the quality.
A paint bucket of tomatoes, sold at N7,000, came down to N6,000, while a slightly bigger bucket, which sold at N8,500 is now N7,500.
Half-a-bucket of pepper, which previously sold for N4,000, now goes for N2,500, while a small quantity sold for N1,500 is now N500.
The sellers attributed the price reduction to a decline in rainfall, adding that tomatoes and pepper do better in the dry season.
Hamza Abubakar, who sells onions and tomatoes, said that price fluctuation is always occasioned by the availability or otherwise of an item in the market every season.
According to him, when tomato becomes cheaper, the price of onions goes up because they do better at different times in the year.
Abubakar explained that nothing could be done to sustain the price reduction of any particular item once its season is over.
A 50-kg bag of local rice, which sold for N65,000, is now N60,000, while a 25-kg bag, sold at N32,500, is now N25,000.
Foreign rice, sold for as high as N90,000, is now N72,000 or N80,000, depending on the brand.
A custard bucket of beans sold at N8,000 is now N5,000.
A custard bucket of garri, which sold for N2,500, now goes for N1,500.
The price of yam has remained relatively stable in the market since the harvest season.
In Abia, a similar price situation also prevails across some food items in major markets in Umuahia and Aba.
Although some items recorded slight price decrease, others went up marginally.
