The Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency has said the Agency will intervene in the interest of Abia consumers to ensure that Osikapa Abia is available to all at a price commensurate with market forces.
The message is contained in a statement by the Director-General, Sam Hart which noted the increase in the price of Osikapa Abia from the N16,500 it was selling as at last week to N18,000 today for a 50kg bag.
The statement revealed the increase is caused by the increase in the price at which farmers sell paddies to the Rice Mills as a result of the the huge demand for the product and disclosed that the Agency has started the process of finding out what is going on with a view to ensuring that people do not to take advantage of the increased demand to reap unduly.
It further noted that the mandate of the Agency also covers protection of Abia consumers from undue market exploitation and called for patience from consumers.