Some food vendors of the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Sunday, complained that N35 is grossly inadequate to prepare a quality meal.
The vendors told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaura that they supplied the food at N50 per plate, with N35 as cost price and N15 profit.
Desk Officer of the programme in Kaura, Mr. Yakubu Kajang, confirmed that the 261 vendors in the area received N50 per plate directly from the federal government.
But, the vendors said the cost of food items in the market has made it impossible to prepare a plate of rice with beans, fish, vegetables and crayfish with N35.
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They appealed to the federal government to review the rate from N50 to N100 per plate; in line with current market prices. The said the aim of empowering local women through the programme will be defeated if nothing is done about it.
One of the vendors, Mrs. Alice Emmanuel, who supplied food to U.B.E. Zwahu Kazah in Manchok, said that most of them spent more than the budgeted N35 for the food to meet the minimum standard.
Another vendor, Mrs. Hajaratu Kato, said that a measure of rice sells for between N550 and N600, and that of beans cost N500.
Kato said that she feeds 53 pupils at Unguwan Nka, Gizagwai, Manchok primary school, and uses seven measures of rice and three of beans which cost her N5, 700.