Some Apple sellers in Kano have decried low patronage of their commodity amidst the high cost of goods in the state.
The sellers, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, said they had been experiencing low patronage in the last two months.
They said that a carton of apple, which previously sold for N20,000, now costs N22,000 while one apple which cost N100 and N200 depending on the size now cost N150 and N250.
Malam Suleiman Mannir, an apple seller, noted that demand of the commodity witnessed drastic drop and has affected his sales, and some of my customers stopped buying the commodity.
“Few months back, I sold about a cartoon of apple daily. The rate has reduced to less than half a cartoon due to economic hardship,” he bemoaned.
Another apple seller, Kabiru Shafiu, described the market condition as discouraging in view of low patronage.
Shafiu said he now sells less than two cartons daily as against four cartons in the past three months.
“The business is a difficult one because at times if people did not buy, the apples will perish and we lose money.
“The money we pay to transport apple from Lagos is now N100,000 as against N75,000,” he said.
Shafiu also said that tax on the commodity has also increased from N500 to N1,000. (NAN)
