Fruit sellers in Jos, the capital of Plateau State have decried poor sales due to the total lockdown directive imposed by the state government since February to stem the spread of COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world.
The traders lamented that following the lockdown, which resulted in low turn-out of customers, they were left with many rotten fruits.
Abdulqadir Ya’u, Chairman of Fruit Sellers Association at Bauchi Motor Park, told Benue/Plateau Trust that many of them had recorded losses due to the low patronage.
“Honestly, since the start of the lockdown, we have been recording losses because we hardly exhaust our stock during the easing period, which spans two to three days. Whatever remains after the break would surely get rotten. This is a big challenge to us in this business in Jos.
“To be sincere to you, we aren’t happy. It’s severely affecting our capital.
“Today, we are not talking of our gains but how we would get back what we invest,’’ he said.
Another trader, Zakari Audu, said the lockdown exercise was seriously affecting their sales since their customers were not being allowed to go for their businesses to enable them to source for money to buy foods and other needs.
He said: “We sell more before the commencement of lockdown in February because customers don’t have money to buy and that is why the business is not booming now. People would like to buy but they don’t have money and you can’t give them free.”
