LAGOS – some dealers on farm produce on Wednesday in Lagos decried the high cost of
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transportation of farm produce from the hinterland to the urban areas.
The traders under the umbrella of Iyanoba Commodity Dealers Association Ojo, Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that harsh business environment was adversely affecting their business.
They said if government could intervene, through affordable and cheap means of transportation, prices of farm produce such as oranges, tomatoes, yam and plantain would be cheaper and affordable to the end-users.
Mrs Hamsat Balogun, an orange dealer, said currently it costs her double of what she used to haul a lorry-load of oranges in 2000 from Lafia, Nassarawa State to Lagos.
“Four years ago we used to transport goods from the farm with N50,000, but at the moment the price has increased to N100,000 making it difficult for us to sell with ease,” she said.
Speaking on the harsh business environment, Mr Gab Itodo, a yam dealer, said they were always under pressure because of the perishable nature of the goods.
“We do not deliberately want to sell at high cost but the expenses we incur bringing these goods from the farms to the city was the cause.
“It is not our wish that produce get spoiled and thrown into dust-bins, we want to sell to remain in business like every other person,” the middle aged dealer said.
He said that if the government could assist traders with storage facilities and linking the rail transport system from farms to cities prices would drop. (NAN)
