By IFEOLUWA ADEJOLU and MERCY OMOIKE

Staple food traders and consumers in Lagos State are lamenting the consistent hike in food prices.

The traders and consumers lamented the consistent rise in foodstuffs in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

They noted that the situation was getting out of hand and a tough situation for Nigerians in the recent time.

They said that both sellers and consumers were facing difficulty in managing daily expenses as food prices continue to escalate.

A trader at Trade Fair market, Mr Dipson Anayo, said that the price of vegetable oil had increased tremendously.

Anayo said that a 25-litre of vegetable oil had increased to N105,000 from N55,000 and N60,000 a month ago.

?The price hike is tough for both distributors and traders.

?The companies tell us that the cost of production has spiked, pushing up prices daily.

?Fuel costs and customs duties also contributed to the burden, making it harder to bring in goods from the border.

?Food prices only go up and never come down. The government knows about these issues, but nothing has changed,? Anayo told NAN.

Another trader in Agboju Market, Mrs Fanny Idenedo, noted that the price of a container of palm oil had increased from N30,000 to N70,000, a situation she blamed on fuel hike.

?Fuel prices have made palm oil more expensive, and we expect it to rise further during the festive period, as production usually slows down.

?The cost of eggs has also increased. A crate, which previously sold for N4,500, now sells for N6,500,? Idenedo said.

On her part, Mrs Amira Ayeola, a civil servant, decried the persistent increase in the cost of eggs and other poultry produce.

?Eggs should be affordable, but they keep getting more expensive. I used to buy a full crate; now I can only afford half crate.

?Poultry farmers and the government need to find ways to reduce costs,? Ayeola said.

An egg trader, Mrs Morufa Jimoh, said the development was affecting patronage.

?It is only few consumers that can now afford to buy eggs due to the price increase caused by rise in the cost of feeds.

?The government is making efforts but let us be honest the Lagos Sunday market initiative has been exploited by many egg traders.

?The merchants working with the government sell only 20 per cent of the eggs directly to consumers, while the remaining 80 per cent are sold to egg vendors and resold at higher prices, which is unfair,? Jimoh said.

A banker, Mrs Cynthia Okoli, lamented that rice was getting out of reach of many Nigerians.

Okoli noted that the price of rice had increased by over 20 per cent in the last three months.

?A 50kg bag of rice now sells between N105,000 and N120,000 against N75,000 to N90,000 it was sold in July.

A consumer, Mrs Bolatito Emmanuel, said that government alone should not be blamed about the current situation of the country.

Emmanuel noted that high profit margin by some sellers contributed to the consistent price hike. (NAN)

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