Traders around the Federal Capital Territory( FCT) and its environs have reacted to the fall in the prices of fresh tomatoes which saw a huge spike between April and July 2024. Tomato plants are tender, warm-season crops that love the sun and cannot bear frost.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Because of its nature, experts have suggested that the best month to plant tomatoes in Nigeria is between December and March which will boost harvest in the lean months of May to August.
However, for farmlands with irrigation facilities, the crop can be planted anytime, while for farmlands with drip irrigation, the crop can be planted all year round.
Due to this factor, the tomato crop reaches its maximum level in price within the months of May to August. However the prices this year exceeded its annual capacity.
THE WHISTLER in 2023 during a market survey noted that a big basket of fresh tomatoes in Dei-Dei market Abuja was sold between N43,000 and N45,000, depending on negotiation, as against N21,000 and N24,000 in January 2023.
On a year-on-year basis, the prices surged by over 100 per cent with the same basket size sold between N100,000 and N90,000, while the lower-quality tomatoes popularly known as (baje), usually ignored were highly sourced for and sold at N60,000.
In states like Lagos, Osun and Ogun the product was sold as high as N150,000. The prices were dependent on the health quality of the crop
The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, had said that a severe infestation of the tomato crop was the reason behind the scarcity and elevated prices of the essential commodity in the country.
He had said “A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs”.
Also, traders attributed the spike to the 2024 Eid El-Kabir celebrations by the Muslim faithful.
In what seems to be a relief for tomato traders, THE WHISTLER learned prices of fresh baskets of tomatoes had dropped by over 87.5 per cent with traders anticipating further fall in price.
Speaking with our correspondent, a tomato seller, Blessing Okoye at the popular Nyanya market in Abuja, said although there is a decrease in the price of the commodity, it doesn’t reflect the usual price of a basket of tomatoes.
Okoye said, “Before now, we expect the prices of tomatoes to increase, most times By N5,000, at most times N15,000. But this year it was beyond N60,000.
“The price has fallen from N85,000 to N45,000 for the bigger basket, while the basket that was sold at N70,000 is now N38,000. To some people, it has dropped but it does not reflect the initial price tomatoes were sold to us”.
“I am optimistic the price will drop because my savings were put in that business and I lost so much money”.
While Okoye was optimistic about future fall in price, Ikenna Grace at the Karu market, told THE WHISTLER that the once golden product is losing its position.
She said, “Tomatoes was gold but not anymore. Nobody will say at some point they ignored the product. I am a trader, but my children did not cook with tomatoes in June. Our stew was strictly from palm kernel fruit (Akwu) or vegetable source”.
When asked why a plate of tomatoes was still sold for N1,800 despite the fall, she replied, “Most people are used to the old price, It depends on the customers negotiating strength. I still sell that same portion for N1,000”.
Other traders who spoke at the market, noted the fall but expressed optimism that the season of exorbitant prices was gradually phasing out.
Sylvia Yakubu on Thursday expressed her satisfaction with the price fall of the crop to THE WHISTLER while noting that she ignored the product when it became expensive, considering her family size.
The 29-year-old mother of three said, “I am excited that the price of tomatoes has dropped, I usually buy three plates of tomatoes for N1,000, but I couldn’t when a plate was sold for N1,7000.
“My children love stew and jollof rice and it was a problem keeping up, so I ignored the product and sourced for other means to meet their needs.
“It was at that point, I learnt how to make palm kernel stew or banga stew popularly known as ofe akwu by the Igbos. Mind you I am not Igbo”.
Eneh Anebi subsequently backed Yakubu’s position, adding that she could now ask tomato traders how much is the cost of their goods.
“Before I looked away when it got to the tomatoes section of the market because I wasn’t ready to hear a price that would get me angry, but now, I can boldly ask how much, and negotiate to my taste,” Anebi said.
