Many Nigerians in Abuja and environs who cannot afford a whole tuber of yam have resorted to buying it in pieces as prices of foodstuff soar in the Federal Capital.
A visit to some markets in the FCT by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, showed that yam sellers, desirous to make sales, cut yams in bits to sell to their customers.
NAN reports that yam is a major staple food in Nigeria, but due to the increase in foodstuff prices, consumers now buy it in pieces as whole tubers are currently beyond the means of most consumers.
Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, a popular yam dealer in Dei-Dei market, told NAN that most times, they cut yam tubers when they were about to decay as a result of low patronage.
”Some consumers will come to request for yam of N1,000 or even N500, and we are left with no option than to sell the already cut pieces to them; that makes them satisfied,” Tanko said.
Mrs Blessing Ekong, a yam seller in Dei-Dei market, said that the current situation in the country had made it difficult for the average family to afford a big-sized tuber of yam, which costs between N3,000 to N5,000.
”Many people no longer buy yam because of the cost. We now cut the yams in pieces and rearrange broken ones to sell at the rate of N500 to N1,000, depending on the size.
“It also helps us increase sales because not everyone can afford a medium-sized tuber of yam for N3,000 or N5,000. Some food vendors also buy cut yams,’’ she said.
Ekong said that due to the current economic situation in the country, some people are afraid of buying a big tuber only to discover that almost part of the yam was bad.
“It will be very painful to experience such a waste. That is one of the reasons many now buy pieces of yam,” she said.
Ekong said it was difficult to sell a tuber of yam N1,000 because farmers now sell small tubers between N1,500 and N2,500.
Mrs. Blessing Hassan, a yam consumer, said that with the present situation in the country, buying yam in pieces was the best option.
“I prefer to buy it in pieces because it is cheaper and, in most cases, I can see clearly if the yam is spoilt or not.
“Sometime, I will buy a good-looking yam only to go home to discover that it is spoilt,’’ she added.
Another yam seller, Mrs Peter Kalu, said that many people no longer buy yam because of the high cost.
She also said that cutting yam into pieces helps to increase their sales because many people prefer it that way.
“We cut them to pieces depending on the size, and resell them in a way people can afford; so many people now prefer cut yams,’’ she said. (NAN)
