By Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Orange Market in New Nyanya, in Nasarawa State, has the age-long reputation of being a fruit market where the poor and the rich from Abuja meet. It is a rendezvous for all sorts of fruits from different parts of the country.
Farmers from states particularly Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu and Nasarawa empty their products into the market. As a result, the market is always bustling. The market opens from 5am and does not go to bed earlier than 12pm.
Typical of its name, 90 per cent of the products are mainly fresh fruits, oranges, tomatoes, mangoes, pepper, banana, paw-paw and plantains.
In view of the large cluster of the products, they are cheap and affordable to the poor, a situation that makes people from Kuje, Zuba, Dutshe Alhaji, Gwagwalada, Bwari and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to patronise the market.
But since the rich discovered the market, things have not been the same again. Nyanya-Keffi Expressway has become busier than ever before especially during this festive period.
Now, it is not difficult to see Special Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with security details in the market. Although, the farmers who bring their products to the market are celebrating the entrance of the rich or the bourgeoisie into the market, the poor or the hoi polloi among them are lamenting the high cost of goods brought about by the political class.
Mrs Ijeoma Ekechi buys her products from Benue State. Some of these products are highly perishable to the extent that they go bad within two days. But now, they are selling fast and no longer record large volumes of perishable goods.
She told Abuja Metro: “I go to Benue to buy fruits. I buy a full load of truck and sell to retailers. I also have shops in the market. When I do not have enough money to buy in bulk, I buy in bits and sell to consumers.
“But these days, we no longer record large quantity of perishable goods because even people from villa come here to buy from us. They have good storage. So, they buy in large quantity and store. They can buy up to N50,000 fruits and store.”
Sule is another trader. He sells watermelon: “I sell my product faster than before. They buy to store for Christmas. We sell N500 or N300 depending on the size of the watermelon. I go to Kano to buy and sell and it is a good business.”
But while the sellers are savoury the pleasure of good sales, another set of people (the consumers) are lamenting the sudden hike of the products since last month. They claim there is a sudden influx of people with deep pockets that invade the market. To this extent, the fruits are no longer affordable by them.
Mrs Peggy lives in Nyanya but goes to Orange Market to buy her fruits for the family: “There is a sudden hike in the prices of the products. I learnt that some people come to buy them off and stock which makes the products costly.
“Since last month, the ‘big men’ come with their Hilux vehicles and buy off all the fruits and stock. We buy in small quantity because we cannot store them for a long time. But the traders prefer those that can clear their goods so that they can restock. This is making it difficult for us to buy. We cannot compete with them.”
Mrs Audu is a retailer. She buys from Orange Market and sells in her small shop in Mararaba. She also lamented the hike in the prices of fruits: “These fruits are costly these days. People come from all parts of Abuja to buy fruits, so making them scarce and costly. I am no longer making much gains. I can stop this business if things don’t improve.”