By Ruth NWORIE
Traders at the Onuigberi Market in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have taken stock of business activities during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, and have concluded that sales were poor, with attendant rise in the cost of food items.
A foodstuff trader at the market, Mrs. Ndidi John, said the festive period did not meet expectations usually associated with increased demand during such festivities.
“People think food vendors always make profits during Christmas, but this time it was not so. The high cost of goods made it difficult for many customers who usually buy in large quantities. Most people said there was no money and that they were just managing.
Food items purchased ahead of the season remained unsold. We stocked food for the celebrations, but many of the goods are still in storage because people could not afford them,” she said.
Another trader who identified herself as Madam Joy, said the high cost of livestock also affected household celebrations within the community. In my family, we could not afford to kill a goat this year because it was too expensive.
“We decided to buy chicken instead, but even chicken was sold for between ₦18,000 and ₦25,000 during the period.”
Despite the challenges, she said families still made efforts to celebrate. “We tried our best because children will not understand the situation,” she added.
