Tomato farmers attribute price hike to Sallah, low production

The Tomatoes Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria has attributed the hike in the price of tomatoes to high demand during the Sallah celebration and low production output.

TOPAN Chairman, Kaduna State chapter, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos.

Zuntu, however, predicted a drop in the price of tomatoes in the next couple of weeks.

“The reason for the hike in the price of produce can be closely linked to the increased demand during the festivities and the low production output of farmers.

The main reason for the consistent rise in the price of tomatoes in recent times is the high demand for the produce and the low productivity level of the farmers.

“With the just-concluded festivities for the Sallah celebration and other high demands we have witnessed in recent times, along with the Easter celebration, the price of tomatoes has been high this period.

“After the festivities, in a week or two, everything will go back to normal; expect the price of tomatoes to normalise then,” Zuntu said.

He also noted that prior to the Sallah festivities, tomato prices were within normal ranges, while blaming transportation costs as a factor for the price hike.

“Before the Sallah festivities, a rafia basket of tomatoes sold between N10,000 and N15,000 up north; however, during the week, the same basket sold for N30,000 and above.

“We, however, cannot say anything about the price of pepper, as the price keeps increasing. Peppers are actually not in season presently.

“We need to increase productivity to meet the growing demands of this produce. The cost of logistics is also a factor in the price hike of the produce,” the chairman said.

NAN reports that a rafia basket of tomatoes sold between N20,000 and N30,000 in January 2025 in the South West currently sells between N60,000 and N70,000 for the same size.

NAN