Consumers of Burukutu, a local liquor, in Taraba State have begun to seek alternatives, as producers embark on a two-week warning strike over cost of production.
The strike, which began, on Monday, was reportedly caused by the recent removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, which, they claimed, led to hike in prices of grains across the state.
Brewers of the liquor, mainly women, vowed not to call off the strike until the state government emplaces mechanisms to reduce the prices of grains.
The Guardian observed that price of maize shot up astronomically from N18,000 to N50,000 per bag and guinea corn catapulted from N20,000 to N60,000.
The sellers, under the auspices of Haske Women Association of Commercial Liquor Sellers, said their decision to go on strike was to draw the attention of Governor Agbu Kefas to their plight.
The Vice Chairperson, Justina Solomon, said for them to remain in business, relevant measures to reduce the prices of grains must be put in place by government.
She said some of her members had been forced out of business due to inability to afford raw materials.
Pleading with the governor to come to their rescue, she said if urgent steps were not taken to address the situation, their dependants might suffer.
Some consumers of the local brew, who spoke with The Guardian, have become jittery over the development.
Describing the drink as medicinal, one of the consumers, who claimed that he could not do without drinking Burukutu in a day, urged the women to put off their strike and fashion out ways of dialoguing with relevant authorities to resolve the matter.
