Cost of Corn Rises In Enugu

Prices of corn has risen by 50 per cent in Enugu, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday has shown.

The high cost of both boiled and roast corn have forced it out of the reach of many families and lovers of corn in the state.

Although, the survey showed that the price may likely reduce in few months when majority of corn farmers would harvest, this would lead to its increase
and subsequent drop in prices.

Some of the farmers and sellers, who spoke to NAN, blamed the hike in price to absence of rainfall due to climate change, while the few harvesting their corn, blamed cost of hiring labourers and prices of other commodities in the market.

A corn seller, Miss Amarachi Eze, said seven pieces of corn she bought for N1,000 in 2024 was now sold for N2,000, stressing that they sell between N400 to N500 per piece, depending on the size.

“If you sell all the seven at N500, you gain N1,500, but if you sell at N400, you will gain N800. This is because I buy directly from the farmers.

“Out of this gain, you pay for transport, charcoal and paper to sell to customers. The least nylon of charcoal is now N500, you add other expenses, all these are responsible for the increase,” she explained.

Another seller, who simply called herself Mama Ejima, said, “The corn is just coming out as many have not started harvesting and it will soon drop.

“I bought small bag of corn that contained about 80 pieces for N25,500, which sold for N13,000 last year,” she said.

She added that she had no corn of N200, but from between N300 to N500, adding at this period in 2024 corn was everywhere.

A farmer, Mr John Oroke, blamed the increase on late rainfall as a result of climate change, emphasising that when a farmer applies fertiliser on a corn farm without adequate rain, it would kill it.

According to him, the cereal crop needs constant rainfall for quality yield as pattern of rainfall in Enugu was not adequate for corn farming.

According to Mr Emmanuel Okafor, another farmer,  it costs much to hire labourers who work on the farm.

He complained that the heat from sun killed his corn due to delay and pattern of rainfall, while a part of the farm was destroyed by herders and their cows.

“I am calling on government to assist Enugu farmers with irrigation for all season corn farming and to address farmers and herders issues in the state,” he appealed.

A buyer, Mrs Ogechukwu Nweke, said that she felt bad about the cost of things in the country, including corn.

“But what can we do, we have to buy it. I am appealing to government to support farmers to increase their yield,” she said.