The quality of locally-produced rice in Nigeria has recorded significant improvement in recent weeks, as the latest Nairametrics Household Survey revealed that more brands of local rice continued to flood major markets in Lagos, thereby pulling the prices.
According to the latest Survey, the price of local rice reduced significantly across major markets in Lagos as new brands of locally made rice were sighted in various markets. Bags of locally-made rice now sell for an average of N19,250 compared to the initial average of N20,750.
The report also showed that 10kg bags of locally produced rice reduced from N4,000 last month to N3,500 last week. The report has items that witnessed decrease in prices, Items that increased in prices, Items that maintained initial prices, special markets accounts and market insights.
Items that witnessed price decrease
- A 10kg bag of Mama Gold rice and Rice Master reduced to a uniform price of N3,500 compared to an initial average of N4,000 and N4,250 respectively.
- A 50kg bag of Mama Gold rice currently sells for an average of N19,250, a 7.23% reduction compared to an initial average of N20,750.
- Also, the price of 50kg bags of Caprice reduced to an average of N25,750 compared to an initial average of N26,167.
- A 50kg bag of brown beans (Oloyin) sells for an average of N12,500, a 3.85% reduction compared to N13,000 being sold two weeks ago.
- While a bag of regular brown beans currently sells for an average of N20,375, a 13.3% reduction in contrast to N23,500 sold in January. A 50kg bag of white beans reduced to an average of N19,875 from an initial average of N21,250.
- The price of pepper decreased yet again, as a big bag now sells for an average of N6,000 from an initial average of N6,500, while a medium bag which was sold for an average of N5,000 two weeks ago reduced by 4% to sell for N4,800.
Items that witnessed price increase
Among the items that witnessed increase in their prices are yam, locally made groundnut oil, tomatoes and onions among others.
- A big tuber of yam now sells for an average of N850 from an initial average of N813, indicating a 4.62% increase within two weeks, while a medium-sized tuber of yam increased by 4.17% to sell for an average of N625.
- A 25-litre gallon of local vegetable oil sells for an average of N13,075, an 1.55% increase compared to an initial average of N12,875.
- A basket of round shaped tomatoes that enjoyed consistent price reductions in recent weeks witnessed relative price increase as a big basket now sells for an average of N6,500 compared to an initial average of N6,000, representing 8.33% increase.
- A medium-sized basket of tomatoes currently sells for N3,800 compared to an initial N3,500 in January.
- Another item that recorded increase in price, despite a run of consistent decrease is onion. A big bag of dry onions currently sells for N22,000 from an initial N20,000. It increased by 10% within two weeks.
- Also, a big bag of new onions costs N19,000, a 5.56% increment compared to N18,000 in January.
[READ MORE: Food items’ stock pile-up across major markets, as prices continue to drop)
Items that maintained initial prices
- Big baskets of sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes still retain their initial prices at N4,300 and N18,000 respectively.
- A bag of Royal Stallion (Foreign) rice maintained its initial price at N27,000.
- Across the visited markets, the price of a bag of flour remains unchanged at an average of N11,275.
- The prices of bags of maize, both yellow and white, maintain their initial prices at the average of N14,000 and N15,500 respectively.
- A kilo of fish (Kote) continues to sell for an average of N478 as Titus fish also maintains N485 as sold two weeks ago.
- Some other items that maintained their initial prices include cartons of noodles, refilling of household cooking gas, beverages and crates of eggs.
Special Market
- Sellers of locally produced palm oil and groundnut oil at Daleko market told Nairametrics Research that their prices are reducing gradually, compared to December.
“A big drum of groundnut oil, that was sold between the range of N115,000 and N120, 0000 in December is now sold for an average of N108,000, while palm oil of the same quantity sells for an average of N72,000 compared to an average of N80,000.”
- We also gathered that the price of a big bunch of plantains that was sold in December for N1,500 at Idi-Oro market reduced to N1,000 in February while a smaller sized bunch now sells for N800 compared to N1,000 in December.
Market insight
Nairametrics Research Team gathered that the continuous supply of new brands of locally produced rice is as a result of farmers’ willingness to produce rice to meet the country’s needs. This has crashed the price of the commodity to N19,000 from an initial N21,000.
A rice seller at Daleko market praised the producers of locally made rice, as the volume of stony rice in the various markets has reduced drastically, while also producing rice that could measure up with foreign-made rice in terms of quality.
Some of the new brands of locally made rice sighted in the markets include Famous Rice, Our Rice, JGW New-World Rice and Al-flux Rice, all of which sell within the range of N18,000 and N19,000 while Mai-Nasari rice cost an average of N16,000.
[READ ALSO: Tomatoes, pepper prices crash across major markets, as local rice continues to ease-off)
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About Nairametrics Food Price Survey
The Nairametrics Food Price Watch is a bi-weekly household market survey that covers the prices of major food items, with emphasis on five major markets in Lagos – Mushin Market, Daleko Market, Oyingbo Market, Idi-Oro Market and Mile 12.
