The price of Irish potatoes has skyrocketed as a 50kg bag now sells for N120,000 at Yandoya Market in Jos, Jos North LGA of Plateau State. Plateau State is known for producing potatoes in commercial quantities and supplying them to neighboring countries such as Niger Republic, Cameroon, and Chad. However, this year, the commodity is scarce even within the state. Unlike before, when the market saw buyers from within and outside the state, the market now appears dry. Although potatoes can still be found, sellers complain of poor patronage as buyers are deterred by the high price.
People are no longer buying potatoes, with many Jos residents opting for other cheaper food items.
Our correspondent, who visited the market on Monday, reports that there were no buyers. Sellers said that between April and May, the price of a 50kg bag increased from N50,000 to N120,000, a situation unprecedented in many decades, making potatoes one of the most expensive food items in the state.
Victoria Bulus, a potato dealer in the market, explained, “I buy the commodity directly from the farmers in the villages and sell to traders here at Yandoya market who then display it in small quantities. It has been my business for years, but this time around, the price has shot up. During the Ramadan period, we sold a 50kg bag of potatoes at the price of N47,000 to N50,000.”
Udoro Joseph, a potato trader, attributed the high prices to factors such as the high cost of fertilizer and other farming inputs, as well as the communal crisis in the potato-producing areas. She said that if the price of farm inputs, particularly fertilizer, is reduced, the price of potatoes will also go down as many farmers will return to farming.
Usaini Ubale, another potato trader, said, “One of the reasons is that things are very costly in the country. So, what we witness today is the multiplier effect of the inflation in the country. If the government intervenes by subsidizing fertilizer and other farming inputs, definitely a lot of farmers will go back to the farm and the price will also go down. But if you cultivate without getting money to purchase fertilizer, everything will become useless.”