Charcoal sellers lament low patronage in Kano

They said that a big size bag of charcoal was being sold at N1, 800 while half bag of the commodity sold at N900, as against its old prices of N2, 000 and N1, 000, respectively.

Malam Hamisu Abubakar, the Chairman, Charcoal Sellers Development Association in the state, expressed concern over the low patronage of the commodity due to exorbitant prices since the raining season set in.

Abubakar noted that the demand of the commodity witnessed drastic dropped, a trend which affected his sales.

“Some of the customers stopped buying charcoal, they preferred stove and electric cooker.

“Few months back, I sold about 30 bags daily, it has reduced to less than 15 bags since the rainy season started.

“Customers such as eatery operators and corn roasters among others that buy the commodity in large quantities are no longer patronising us due to the rain.

“Whenever it rain, we keep the charcoal inside a shop and use a big polythene to cover it so as not to get soaked or wet,” he said.

According to him, charcoal is sourced and transported to Kano from Bauchi, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Sokoto States.

Another charcoal vendor, Babangida Usman described the market condition as discouraging in view of the low patronage of the commodity.

Usman said he now sold less than one bag of the commodity daily as against three in the past five months.

“The business is a difficult one because at times if people don’t have money they won’t buy, they rather look for other alternative to cook,’’ Usman said.

NAN, however, reports that kerosene had indicated significant dropped in prices in the past few months in the area.

Suleiman Mohammed, a kerosene dealer at Yankura Market said that the prices of kerosene had reduced.

“A drum of kerosene is sold for N45, 000 and a Jerry can at N1, 300 as against its previous prices of N40, 000 and N1, 200 in the past four months.

“Customers now buy kerosene in small quantity like N200 or N500,” he said.

Nneka Nwaboda, a roasted corn seller, at Aba Road in Sabon Gari, said roasted corn prices were slightly up to cover for the expenditure on charcoal.

“A corn N30 is now N50 while the one for N50 was sold at N70,’’ Nwaboda said.

Also, Fatima Yusuf, an eatery operator at Galadima Road, said that she preferred Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG), to run her business.

“I am using gas to cook, it make my work easy, fast and clean unlike charcoal which is cumbersome and unhygienic.’’ (NAN)