Some vegetable sellers in Agege, have complained that fluted pumpkin leaves populary known as ‘Ugwu’ vegetable is scarce because the floods have washed away their farms.
Speaking during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos, traders blamed the recent hike in the price of ‘Ugwu’ on the rainy season.
Marylyn Eze, a trade at the popular Ile-Epo Market Agege, affirmed the rise in price, saying “it is a bad year for the vegetable’”.
“I affirm that the prices of vegetable, especially the popular ‘Ugwu’ have indeed risen for some time now.
“I do not really know the reason for this increase in price but we heard from the farmers that `Ugwu’ is not really doing well this year in terms of harvest.
“People still patronise us but sometimes we sell at a loss because people can no longer afford the quantity they used to purchase owing to the price hike.
“We have no choice but to reduce the quantity of the vegetable and increase the price so as to get a decent profit from the sale,” she said.
“Farmers will still ensure we have ‘Ugwu’ for sale but it will be at a higher rate in comparison to its surplus period in June.
“Our customers will have to make do with the prices and quantity until the scarcity period is over,” she said.
Christian Kalu, another seller at Iyana-Ipaja said the floods had made the farmers run at a loss hence the increase in the price of the popular vegetable.
“Since the rains started, the farmers are short in their harvest hence the current increase in the price of ‘Ugwu’. Currently we scarcely get enough to buy and sell in return.
“This scarcity does not happen every year, but this year it really hit us hard. Last year, the price of ‘Ugwu’ was high but it was still available, now we have to scout before we get to purchase.
“I buy costly and then I portion it to my satisfaction to get a profit. This scarcity may last still the end of the year, since the rains are still falling.
“A bunch we buy at N700 or N800 is now sold between N1300 and N1500. We must also factor in cost of transportation, market levies and other utility bills before we get a little profit,” Kalu said.
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