The National Bureau of Statistics has recently released a report indicating a rise in the prices of beans, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, garri, yam, and other food items in June 2024.
Recall that the Bureau announced a few days ago that the headline inflation for June increased to 34.19 percent, compared to the May 2024 headline inflation rate of 33.95 percent.
According to the NBS report on Selected Food Prices Watch report for June 2024 released in Abuja on Tuesday, the average price of 1kg of brown beans increased by 252.13 per cent from ₦651.12 recorded in June 2023 to ₦2,292.76 in June 2024.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of brown beans increased by 14.11 per cent in June from the ₦2,009.23 recorded in May 2024,” the report stated.
It said that the average price of 1kg of tomatoes increased by 320.67 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N547.28 recorded in June 2023 to N2,302.26 in June 2024.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of tomatoes increased by 55.97 per cent from the N1,479.69 recorded in May 2024,” it added.
The report said that the average price of Irish potatoes increased by 288.50 per cent on a year-on-year basis from ₦623.75 in June 2023 to ₦2,423.27 in June 2024.
The NBS said that the average price of 1kg of white Garri rose by 181.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis from ₦403.15 in June 2023 to ₦1,135.51 in June 2024.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of white Garri increased by 1.86 per cent from N1,114.72 recorded in May 2024.
In addition, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber rose by 295.79 per cent on a year-on-year basis from ₦510.77 recorded in June 2023 to ₦2,2021.55 in June 2024.
On state profile analysis, the report showed that in June 2024, the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans was recorded in Kogi at ₦3,006.43, while the lowest was recorded in Adamawa at ₦1,336.11.
It said that Abuja recorded the highest average price of 1kg of tomato at ₦3,992.61, while the lowest was recorded in Kebbi at ₦1,200.
The NBS said that the highest average price of 1kg of yam tuber was recorded in Lagos at ₦3,376.54, while the lowest price was recorded in Adamawa at ₦1,100.
According to the report, Gombe recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white garri at ₦1,619.27, while the lowest was reported in Taraba at ₦900.
Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg of brown beans was highest in the North-Central at N 2,923.45, followed by the South-South at N 2,630.03.
The South-West and South-East recorded the highest average price of 1kg of tomatoes at ₦3,261.84 and ₦2,852.59, respectively, while the lowest price was in the North-West at ₦1,411.16.
The report said that the South-West recorded the highest average price of 1kg of yam tuber at ₦2,745.80, followed by the North-Central at ₦2,440.35, while the North-West recorded the lowest price at ₦1,238.49.
The NBS said also that the South-West and the North-East recorded the highest average price of 1kg of white Garri at ₦1,199.62 and ₦1,155.63, respectively.
This is as the Federal Government recently granted a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, in a bid to address the incessant increase in food prices and ensure food security.
The suspended duty tariffs and taxes will be on the importation of certain food items across the land and sea borders which include maize, cowpeas, wheat, and husked brown rice.
The government also said it had approved some grains for onward nationwide distribution.
