Hunger Situation: Dawanau Market Grains Dealers Deny Hoarding Foodstuff
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The management of Dawanau International Grains Market in Kano State has dispelled speculations that dealers transacting business in the market are hoarding foodstuff in order to create artificial scarcity.
It also dismissed perceptions that the traders are increasing prices of food items arbitrarily to cause excruciating hardships to the people.
Dawanau International Grains Market is the biggest in West Africa supplying foodstuff to customers in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, among other countries.
Such food items include rice, millet, sorghum, beans, wheat and groundnuts which are largely grown in the northern parts of Nigeria.
The market also stocks in crops such as Sobo, Sesame Seeds, hibiscus, Tamarind and Soybeans which are exported to Asia, Europe and other global markets.
Addressing newsmen in Kano on Saturday, the President of the Dawanau Market Development Association(DMDA), Alhaji Muttaka Isa, said the grains dealers only purchase the foodstuff from growers in various parts of the country, store them in the market’s warehouses before selling them to their customers.
“Following the recent rise in the prices of food products across the country, misinformation and disinformation have taken over the public domain concerning our operations and we are wrongly accused of hoarding food items.
“The Association hereby calls the attention of the general public to understand that we are dealers of items having an average daily turnover of N30 billion.
“Farmers from far and near bring their products here which we buy and sell as wholesale to industries and for exports. We buy and sell the items, and cannot possibly hoard them.
“The various grains and other food items you see in these warehouses are only on transit; they must be stored first before they are sold to our customers.
“Storing the goods in the warehouses is essential so as to prevent them from being spoilt and also for convenient purposes,” Isa explained.
“I want to inform the general public that governments and organisations purchase grains from us.
“For example, the Federal Government of Nigeria buys grains from us, organizations such as the World Food Programme(WFP) also buy grains from us and distribute to IDPs camps in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“I wonder how these esteemed customers can buy from us if we are hoarding these grains. So, I am appealing to the general public, particularly our business partners, to disregard the wicked rumour as it is baseless and unfounded.
“The truth is that we are genuine businessmen passionate about the progress and well-being of our customers as well the economic development of our dear nation, Nigeria,” the President said.
