Effect of Post– Covid – 19 Era on the Relationship between Price and Consumption of Rice in Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

In December 2019, officials in Wuhan city, China, reported the existence of a new disease caused by a novel coronavirus. This disease, named SARS-CoV-2 and causing the COVID-19 pandemic, was subsequently identified as having affected some people in China as early as the beginning of December 2019. In Nigeria, the pandemic has caused disruptions in the rice value-chain system, leading to a rice crisis. This has put at risk not only the livelihoods of those involved in the rice value chain but also the nutritional security of the country. The research adopts descriptive research design, data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires which were administered to target respondents, data was analysed frequency distribution table and simple percentages and hypotheses tested using chi-square statistical test. From the test of hypotheses, it was discovered that people living in Idah are significantly influenced by price of rice in their buying decisions, from the findings the respondents find life difficult to survive during the covid – 19. It was also discovered that price helps to increase the volume of sales. It was concluded that the government should plan their budget accordingly. The price should be giving much attention in the national budget to increase the profit margin of firms. The research recommends that the government should improve in its sensitization to the citizens of Idah after the covid – 19, price and rice consumption in other to improve food security in Nigeria.