Victor EzejaA 50kg Bag of Garri Rises by 150% in 4 Months
The average price of 1kilogram (kg) of white garri rises by 112.34% in one year – NBS report
Garri which is one of the popular staple foods in Nigeria produced from cassava, has become unaffordable to many, especially the low-income earners as the price keeps soaring every day.
This is as cassava production continues to dwindle. According to a PwC report, Nigeria being the largest cassava producer globally, and accounting for about one-fifth (21 per cent) of total production worldwide, experiences high demand for the product in the domestic economy. It said the supply-demand gap for high-quality cassava flour stands at about 485,000 metric tonnes (MT) per annum while the gap for cassava starch is about 290,000MT, and estimated that “Nigeria would need about 28.3 million metric tonnes of fresh cassava root planted annually on about 1.2 million hectares of land to meet the country’s demand for cassava by-products and derivatives.”
Prime Business Africa survey of major markets and retail shops revealed that the price of a 50kg bag of garri, has surged by 150 per cent in four months. From an average of N18,000 in December 2023, it jumped to N45,000 in April 2024.
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This is as a four-litre paint bucket used in measuring the commodity has increased to ₦3,500 from ₦1,200 it was sold in December 2023.
Prime Business Africa’s findings revealed that while some sell a bag of yellow garri with N500 higher than white, others sell both at the same price.
Also, data gleaned from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) “Selected Food Price Watch” from March 2023 to March 2024 indicated an increase in the average price of 1kg of white garri. According to the latest one for March 2024, released on Friday, April 26, the average price of 1kg of white garri increased by 112.34 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N353.16 in March 2023 to N749.89 in March 2024.
Commenting on the continued rise in the price of garri, Mr Chinonso Iyida, who manages a restaurant in Ilasamaja Lagos said: “Garri has now turned to a luxury food because of the high price.” He lamented that they are finding it difficult to maintain the old price per plate of food served to customers because of the continued increase in the price of food items in the market. “We just bought a bag of garri this week at the cost of N45,000 against N17,000 and N18,000 we used to buy some months ago. We are finding it difficult to make gains,” he added.
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Mrs Patience Onoja, who sells garri and other food stuffs expressed fear of impending scarcity of the product. When this writer went to buy she said: “I don’t have garri now, we are having a challenge of supply now, the price has gone very high. Those that have are now selling between N3,400 and N3,500 for one painter.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
