The price of Irish potatoes has skyrocketed in Jos, Plateau State, with a 50kg bag now selling for N120,000 at Yandoya Market. This drastic price increase has led to a sharp decline in sales, as many buyers are deterred by the high cost.
Jos is known for producing potatoes in large quantities, supplying neighboring countries such as Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. However, this year, the commodity is scarce even in its main production area.
Victoria Bulus, a potato dealer, shared her experience with the current market situation.
“I buy the commodity directly from farmers and sell to traders here at Yandoya market. This has been my business for years, but this time around, the price has shot up. During Ramadan, we sold a 50kg bag for N47,000 to N50,000. Now, it’s N120,000,” she said.
Several factors have contributed to this price hike. Udoro Joseph, a potato trader, cited the high cost of fertilizer and other farming inputs, along with communal crises in potato-producing areas, as major reasons for the increase. “If the price of farm inputs, particularly fertilizer, is reduced, the price of potatoes will also go down as many farmers will return to farming,” Joseph explained.
Usaini Ubale, another trader, highlighted the broader economic issues affecting the market.
“One of the reasons is that things are very costly in the country. This is the multiplier effect of inflation. If the government intervenes by subsidizing fertilizer and other farming inputs, many farmers will go back to farming, and prices will decrease. But without money to purchase fertilizer, everything becomes useless,” he said.