Bread Crisis Loading: Flour Up Again – 8 Things to Buy Before June

CTN Market Watch: Week 21 – Where to shop smart this week

Column summary intro:
Welcome to CTN Market Watch – your weekly companion for finding quality goods at reasonable prices across Nigeria. Each week, we break down current market trends, highlight the best spots to buy staple foods, vegetables, protein, and household items, and help you avoid price gouging. Plus: global price moves that affect your wallet. Here’s what’s happening in Week 21.

Why keep coming back to CTN?
Because we don’t just give prices — we tell you where to go, when to buy, and what’s coming next week. No other platform breaks down local and global market shifts this clearly, this fast, and this free. Bookmark this column.

Global market brief – how the world affects your shopping this week

· Wheat prices jumped another 5% – driest Russian spring in decades. Flour and bread will surge by late June.
· Palm oil futures up 3% – Indonesia export ban rumors. Local palm oil still climbing.
· Rice prices up 4% – India confirms export tax coming June 1. Buy imported rice now.
· Sugar prices stable but Thailand forecasts lower crop – relief is temporary.
· Crude oil at $90/barrel – diesel now above ₦1,400/litre in many states. Transport costs are crushing.

What this means for you:
Bread, noodles, pasta, and semovita are on a countdown to steep increases. Buy flour if you bake at home. Rice has about 10 days before the tax hits. Palm oil is no longer optional – buy what you can.

Week 21 market snapshot (May 18 – May 24)

· Bread prices up already in Lagos and Abuja – ₦1,500 for 600g loaf is now common.
· Palm oil hit ₦4,000/litre in parts of Lagos – South-South still cheaper but narrowing.
· Tomatoes finally cooling – new harvests from Plateau State arriving.
· Onions steady at lower prices – good time to buy for storage.
· Beans up 10% – demand surging as meat and fish become luxury items for many.

8 things to buy before June (prices will rise):

1. Imported rice – India tax coming June 1
2. Flour (any brand) – wheat crisis deepening
3. Pasta and noodles – same wheat pressure
4. Sugar – global crop concerns
5. Palm oil – Indonesia export squeeze
6. Frozen chicken – diesel costs won’t reverse
7. Semovita and other wheat-based swallows
8. Bread – but freeze it; don’t let it sit

Best buys by region – what to pay (reasonable cost guide)

Southwest (Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta)

· Tomatoes (1 basket): ₦28,000–₦32,000 – Idi-Oro – finally down 25% from peak
· Ewedu leaves (bunch): ₦300–₦400 – Oyingbo – back to normal
· Rice (50kg foreign parboiled): ₦78,000–₦82,000 – Daleko – up slightly, buy before June
· Frozen chicken (1kg): ₦4,800–₦5,300 – Agege – still climbing
· Palm oil (1 litre): ₦3,800–₦4,200 – Mushin – painful but still cheaper than next month
· Bread (600g sliced): ₦1,400–₦1,600 – everywhere – buy and freeze

Southeast (Enugu, Onitsha, Aba)

· Garri (white, 2kg sack): ₦2,400–₦2,800 – Ogbete – cassava scarcity continues
· Crayfish (ground, small paint rubber): ₦1,400–₦1,700 – Ariaria – up slightly
· Oil bean seed (ukpaka, 1 cup): ₦1,100–₦1,300 – New Market – limited
· Goat meat (1kg): ₦5,500–₦6,000 – Relief Market – now a luxury protein
· Palm oil (1 litre): ₦4,000–₦4,500 – Ogbete – catching up to Lagos
· Rice (50kg): ₦79,000–₦83,000 – Ogbete – buy this week

North (Kano, Kaduna, Abuja)

· Onions (1 big bag, 50kg): ₦90,000–₦98,000 – Kurumi Market – still good value
· Sweet potatoes (1 heap): ₦1,000–₦1,200 – Dei-Dei – cheap and filling
· Beans (oloyin, 1 mudu): ₦1,800–₦2,100 – Singa – up from last week
· Groundnut oil (1 litre): ₦3,500–₦3,900 – Wuse – high but stable
· Flour (50kg): ₦45,000–₦48,000 – Kurmi – buy now, won’t see this price again
· Bread (600g): ₦1,300–₦1,500 – Abuja – rising daily

South-South (PH, Warri, Uyo)

· Fresh catfish (medium size, 1kg): ₦3,800–₦4,300 – Mile 1 Diobu – expensive
· Plantain (bunch, ripe): ₦3,500–₦4,000 – Iwofe road – stable
· Palm oil (1 litre, native thick): ₦3,200–₦3,700 – Effurun – still Nigeria’s best price
· Smoked bonga fish (big piece): ₦600–₦750 – Uyo main – up slightly
· Rice (50kg): ₦77,000–₦81,000 – Uyo – cheapest in South now

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Price trend analysis for Week 21 – what’s up, what’s down

· Tomatoes down 25% – best news this week. Buy for drying and preserving.
· Palm oil up 8% – will cross ₦5,000 in Lagos by mid-June.
· Bread up 15% – and not done yet. Freeze loaves now.
· Rice up 5% – pre-tax panic buying starting.
· Eggs (1 crate): ₦4,000–₦4,400 – feed costs still high.
· Onions down 12% from peak – enjoy while it lasts.

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Shopping tip of the week
Freeze bread properly: slice first, then wrap tightly in foil or freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible. Frozen sliced bread lasts 3 months. Take out only what you need and toast or warm in a pan. One loaf bought at today’s ₦1,500 saves you from buying at ₦2,000+ in July. Buy 3–4 loaves now if you have freezer space.