The yearly Ramadan fasting for the Muslim faithful begins tomorrow, but the usual high tempo of shopping at major foodstuff and fruits markets within the Lagos metropolis has given way to slow buying and selling, reports TONIA ‘DIYAN, who visited some of the markets.
Ramadan begins tomorrow. It is a period when Muslim faithful across the world observe fasting.
As usual, they are expected to stock their homes with staple foods and other things they will need during the period.
But, many of them are constrained to do this, no thanks to the prevailing recession, that have driven prices to the roof tops.
In the past, when it is two weeks to Ramadan, markets get busier with patronage increasing by daily. Shoppers, mostly Muslims, troop in and out of markets to buy goods, mainly foodstuffs and fruits. Visits to Idumota, Mile12, Oyingbo, Daleko and other foodstuff markets in Lagos revealed that sales were low with few customers buying up some of the items on display. This time, the markets have refused to ride on the crest of the spirit of the season.
For instance, at Idumota Market in Lagos Island, traders were lamenting that they were not making sales because Muslims were not buying their goods. A trader who sells food seasoning, Mrs Bimbo Akinyemi, said: “We always look forward to seasons like this to make money but customers are not coming; the few ones that come around only inquire prices and leave complaining that food items are extremely expensive and there is no money to buy. We are not pleased with slow sales and low patronage we are getting from customers,” she said.
A garri trader at Balogun market also in Lagos Island Local Government Area, Mrs Fatimat Awosanya, said at the weekend that her customers had not being patronising her in the last three months. She lamented that sales had been very discouraging.
“Before now, we used to anticipate Ramadan rush, which comes once in a year but the story has changed,” she said.
The price of a bag of garri, a common staple among low income earners, has increased. From N11,000 a bag, it sells for N14,500, depending on the brand.
Another trader, Shade Ifedapo, a pepper and tomato seller at Sabo Market in Ikorodu, said sales had been very poor in the past few weeks. “My Muslim customers are not coming to buy pepper, tomato and other items in large quantities the way they used to when they were preparing for their fast. Last year, regardless of the hike in the price of these items, particularly at times like this, they still patronised me. I haven’t seen them, some of them complain of lack of money,” she lamented.
She said a basket of pepper, which used to sell for N16, 000 sells for N17, 000. A basket of tomatoes was N7, 000, now it’s between N28, 000 and N30, 000, depending on its freshness.
Also, a bag of Tatase and Shombo: (pepper varieties), which gets expensive during raining season rose from N4000 to between N6,500 and N7000. A bag of onions, which hitherto sold for N15,000 has moved to N20,000.
Shade explained that when these items were sold at exorbitant rates to wholesalers, it was also sold at exorbitant rates to the retailers. “Yes, we sell to make profit. But we cannot afford to lose after spending so much money to buy to resell. That is why we sell according to what we buy,” she said.
She noted that in the past, Muslims would buy in bulk before the fast and when they are fasting, adding that is the only time traders experience low patronage is when the fasting proper begins.
The story is the same at Oshodi Market. One of the traders in the market, who spoke to The Nation, Belinda Ngu said: “Usually when Muslims are preparing for their fast, they don’t want to be caught unawares as they stock their homes with staple food items to prepare them. This time around, the case is different, we only come here to sit with our wares and return home unaccomplished. Last year Ramadan sale was better. Yes, foodstuffs and other items were expensive but affordable by many.”
At the fruit market at Ketu, the story is the same, people are not buying. Hameed Abu, a middle-aged stall owner, has been selling seasonal fruits for 20 years. According to him, business has not been this bad. “Before now, when people are preparing for Ramadan, I deal with about 300 customers daily. I sell fruits worth more than N30, 000 daily; watermelon used to be the most patronised. Now, I hardly take home N5,000. My customers walk past my shop asking me if fruit will fill their stomach. They would rather use the money to purchase foodstuffs,” Abu lamented.
Traders at the popular Agege Market also lamented the low patronage. Haji Abdullah, a tomato seller, said this year’s Ramadan business is the worst she had experienced since she started selling at the market. According to her, “despite an increase in the price of almost all food items last year, my sales did not go down.
