Garri, beans prices crash as good inflation eases

By Abubakar Yunusa

Nigerians received a measure of relief in April as the prices of key food staples, including garri and beans, recorded significant declines, signalling a moderation in food inflation pressures across the country.
The latest Selected Food Price Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the average price of white garri sold loose dropped by 39.86 per cent year-on-year, while brown beans recorded an even steeper decline of 44.89 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
According to the report, the average price of white garri fell from N1,345.10 per kilogramme in April 2025 to N808.96 in April 2026. However, the commodity recorded a slight increase of 0.93 per cent compared with March 2026.
Brown beans also witnessed a sharp reduction, falling from N2,429.39 per kilogramme in April 2025 to N1,338.93 in April 2026. On a month-on-month basis, the commodity rose marginally by 0.99 per cent.
The NBS report indicated that while food prices have eased considerably compared with last year, some commodities still experienced short-term increases, reflecting lingering market pressures.
Tomatoes sold for an average of N1,177.92 per kilogramme, representing an 8.23 per cent decline year-on-year. However, prices rose by 6.60 per cent from the previous month.
Similarly, onion bulbs declined by 22.56 per cent year-on-year to N1,164.39 per kilogramme.
Fresh ginger bucked the trend, rising by 12.30 per cent to N5,581.82 per kilogramme during the review period.
The report also exposed wide variations in food prices across states and geopolitical zones, underscoring disparities in supply chains, transportation costs and local market conditions.
Bayelsa State recorded the highest average price of tomatoes at N1,600.73 per kilogramme, while Plateau State posted the lowest at N730.48.
For brown beans, Oyo State recorded the highest average price at N1,938.91 per kilogramme, while Taraba State had the lowest at N750.
Abia State recorded the highest average price of garri at N1,075.47 per kilogramme, while Plateau again posted the lowest at N517.94.
Onion prices were highest in Abia at N2,191.63 per kilogramme and lowest in Nasarawa State at N832.16.
A regional breakdown showed that the South-South recorded the highest average tomato price at N1,561.10 per kilogramme, while the North-West posted the lowest at N822.72.
The South-East recorded the highest average garri price at N944.58 per kilogramme, while the North-Central had the lowest at N673.88.
The latest figures suggest that although food inflation remains a concern, the sharp decline in the prices of major staples such as garri and beans could offer some respite to households grappling with the high cost of living.