Contrary to the Central Bank’s director, traders in the Bagruwa chiefdom market Moyamba District said with the exception of pepper of which cost par cup has recently reduced, commodities like palm oil and others are still yet to record decrease in cost.
Fatu Mansaray a palm oil trader in the market reiterated the point that unlike the past, this year’s palm oil is seemingly short in the Market, for this reason they as traders are left with no option but to sell the commodity at two thousand Leones per pint.
She said that is the only way for them to a make the minimal profit they look forward to in their trade. She said even that is a challenge as most people now prefer eating their food white instead of cooking it with oil which she said is everyday getting expensive.
She called on government to institute prize control measures. This she said would minimize the high cost of living the ordinary man in the country suffers.
A resident of Moyamba Town, Maseray Hall said cost of local goods in the Markets is very expensive as a result of the hike of commodity prices at whole sale.
“The traders themselves are not happy to increase cost of commodities, but at what better cost do you expect her to sell for example rough-rice per cup that is currently sold at two hundred thousand Leones”, she emphasized adding that as a result of that, hardship has seriously struck the district wherein an extended family that was used to cook eleven cup rice a day, is now finding it difficult to use up five cup a day.
Moyamba District is said to be the bread basket of the country, as a result the bumper harvests every year in the district, however that seems to be an appraisal of the past, as most Moyamba inhabitants claim to have cassava as their staple food, instead of rice which is their favorite food.
A teacher in the District said they are finding it difficult at the moment to afford cups of rice which cost is everyday increasing for this reason, he said since most inhabitants in the district have cassava farms, they go in for commodities like gari and foo-foo that are of a cheaper cost than rice.
However, she said that is a bit disturbing to them, as most of them in the district do not enjoy eating cassava every day.
“In fact cassava is a food, when eaten too much causes stomach complications, right now as I speak majority of us here are every day sick and they have to run to the pharmacy for medications, but we do not have an option, the rice and palm oil are now very expensive”, the teacher said.
While other residents of the district disapprove their current condition of living in the district, Foday Musa, a Cassava Farmer said he is pleased with the trade-output of his cassava produce.
He said this year he has made more profits as compared to last year, because of the increase in demand for cassava in the Moyamba District.
