By Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Hundreds of residents from across Kaduna state have all turned attentions to one (Kasuwar Manoma-Kasuwar Bakin kogin kaduna) and kasuwar Bakin-kogi –Unguwar Gado) where foodstuffs and fish are cheap and sold at affordable prices.
This is sequel to steadily rise in the cost of foodstuff in conventional popular markets due to economic recession orchestrated by corona-virus pendemic and ravaging security challenges forcing large number of Kaduna residents to seeks river banks markets for cheap food items.
Mallam Usman Abdullahi, a Local farmer from kurmin kaduna told journalsts that, they “supply all kinds of farm produce to the river bank in order to reduce the high cost of food items in the state.
“Food crops such as vegetable, Okro, tomatoes, pepper, onions, rice ,beans maize,Yam,Babana, and some times animals are sold at a cheaper prices at the river Bank” he stated.
He stressed that despite security challenges ,farmers across the river bank were occupied with their farming activities which is aimed at supplying food stuffs to the nation, in order to tackle scarcity of food in the country.
Investigation further revealed that all the Kaduna river Bank markets are in places where the Poor, the retailer and other commercial bussiness men and women including some neighboring communities usually go to buy foodstuffs and fish at affordable prices.
“Rising prices of foodstuffs across the market in the country is becoming a big threat to the existence of many families,as insecurity forced many farmers to abandon their farmland this year”, he added.
He said, hundreds of people from various places across the state do usually “comes here in their Cars ,motor-cycles and buy foodstuffs and other commodities at a very cheaper PricesAccording to him , they sell their goods directly to the poor and sometimes to the retailers that usually comes to the river banks for the business activities.
“The prices of goods at the river bank is incomparable to the ones in the major market across the state simply because its cheap and affordable.
“Mrs Elizebeth Lukas is a retailer that travels from Unguwan Gwari Kaduna to come to the River bank and buys all the foodstuff and other communities she want , in order to supply it to the central market kaduna.
“This is the only place where the poor have to travel far-away to come and buys food stuffs at affordable prices”, she stressed.
She added that “I bought all the food stuffs that I want at a cheaper price here at the river bank directly from the local farmer”“Most of the foodstuff that were at the central market ,its from here they usually supply it from”She said, retailers and other foodstuff suppliers prefers coming down here every morning and buys all the food stuffs because its fresh, clean and its cheap.
“Although not all people knows about the location of the market because its hehind a village called( Rafinguzza), buts it’s the main supplier of all the cash crops and other food items in the state.
“Habibu Mustapha, is one of the union leader of the market that says, the river bank market provide an opportunity for both the sellers and the buyers to meet and bargain at affordable prices.The market plays a significant role toward boosting the state’s economy as well as providing an opportunity for employment to large number of buyers and sellers especially married women.
