Africa
SOME Lagos residents, traders and bakers have lamented the rising price of eggs, saying the development has forced many families to ration consumption while businesses struggle to remain profitable.
They expressed their concerns in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The residents and traders said the rising cost had affected household consumption of eggs, while bakers and food vendors said the development had increased production costs and reduced patronage.
NAN reports that a crate of eggs currently sells for between N5,700 and N6,500 in Lagos, depending on size, compared with between N5,000 and N5,200 at the beginning of the year.
Both poultry farmers and traders have attributed the rising price to different factors, with consumers bearing the brunt of the increase.
An egg trader, Mrs Amina Bashir, said the price of eggs had consistently increased this year, a situation she attributed to the prevailing economic conditions.
“We still sell our produce to customers who can afford it. Patronage has not completely stopped, but the demand is very low.
“Compared to past years, we could easily sell our produce and restock our shops because of increased demand, but the situation is no longer the same.
“We simply hope that the price will become more favourable so that we do not lose our customers or go completely out of business,” Bashir said.
For Mr Paul Olawole, a baker in the Tejuosho area of Lagos, the increase in egg prices has affected his business, forcing him to reduce production.
Olawole attributed part of the increase to the cold season, which, according to him, affects egg production by reducing the rate at which chickens lay eggs.
“For the average-sized crate of eggs sold at N4,800 last year, the smallest crate now sells as high as N5,800. We hope the price of eggs can be regulated.
“Presently, most Nigerians are not able to afford pastries or cakes because of the increase in the price of raw materials, with eggs being one of the major ingredients.
“We have also had to cut down on our operations due to the high cost of eggs, as we can no longer produce some pastries in bulk. This has, in turn, resulted in some losses for us,” he said.
Olawole also said the high cost of eggs had reduced patronage, as some customers could no longer afford pastries and cakes as frequently as before.
For Mrs Ifeoma Williams, a resident of Yaba, the rising cost of eggs has turned what was once a regular part of family meals into something that has to be carefully rationed.
“Before, we could eat as many eggs as we liked, even two in the morning, but now that eggs are expensive, it is once a day or sometimes none, and I have to ration them among the children.
“The money I use to buy eggs can now be used to buy tomatoes or other things that can nourish my family,” Williams said.
She said the situation had made it difficult for her family to maintain its previous level of egg consumption.
Similarly, Mrs Chidera Okorie, a food vendor who sells noodles, said the high cost of eggs had changed the way customers ordered their meals.
“Customers would come to buy noodles but when they hear the price of the egg, they leave, while some opt for noodles without an egg.
“Even as a parent, I no longer add eggs to my children’s meals every time so as not to affect my business or profit margin.
“Before now, I used to give my children at least an egg daily. Now that it is expensive, I would give them one in two weeks or sometimes once in a month,” Okorie said.
She said the situation was putting pressure on both her business and household, as she had to balance the nutritional needs of her children with the need to protect her profit margin.
The residents and traders expressed hope that the price of eggs would stabilise soon, saying a sustained increase could further reduce consumption and affect businesses that depend on the produce.
In spite of the rising cost, consumers said eggs remained an important part of their meals, but the current price had made regular consumption increasingly difficult for many households.
(NAN)
F.O
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