Ramadan: Crash sugar price, Kano merchants urge Dangote, Bua

Singer Market Development Association, Kano, has appealed to Dangote and Bua companies to consider cutting down the prices of sugar ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan.

That apart, 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 definitely crash, while ordinary consumers will feel relief, the merchants opined.

Addressing journalists on the prices of essential commodities in the market ahead of Ramadan, Chairman of the market association, Junaidu Muhammed Zakari, said the two manufacturers have a responsibility to ease the pain of the common man in the country.

Though Zakari revealed that the 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 consumers due to some level of resistance on the part of retailers who have refused to cut down the prices.

He cited a similar concern over the high cost of bread in Kano and the failure of the Master Bakers to drop their prices 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 food production.

“We commend the Federal Government for granting waivers on the importation of essential commodities such as rice, pasta, and noodles. This has crashed the prices of these items in the market. It is indeed a welcome development.

“Take, for instance, rice that was sold at about N120,000 a few months ago; it has now crashed to less than N80,000. A pack of pasta, previously sold at N20,000, is now selling at N14,000 to N13,500 in the markets.

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“Even flour, which was sold at N90,000, is now selling at about N70,000 to N65,000, while a 50kg bag of oil, previously sold at almost N100,000, is now selling at N70,000, and flour is now less than N70,000.

“But we are surprised that there has been no significant reduction in the price of sugar, which is why we appeal to the Federal Government to allow more competitiveness in the sugar industry.

“Allow more competent hands to refine sugar. Why must we have only two or three companies dominating the price of sugar, flour, and pasta in Nigeria? These people unilaterally decide what the entire population pays for sugar. This is the main reason the price continues to soar.

“We are not happy with the price situation of sugar. We see no justification for the price of sugar to keep being high. This is a commodity produced locally by Dangote and BUA.

“The exchange rate is also stabilizing, as the rate of the dollar to the 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.