Nigeria’s Tomato Farmers Face Challenges as Off-Season Period Begins

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The high price of tomatoes in Nigerian markets is attributed to the commencement of the off-season period and slow production, according to Sani Danladi, Kano State Chairperson of Tomato Out Growers Association of Nigeria (TOGAN). Danladi explained that the supply of tomatoes has reduced significantly compared to last year, with prices expected to remain high until September when tomato season begins.

“There is the issue of Sallah celebration holidays for the past 2-3 weeks. Second thing is, it’s not the peak season… The production is slow now,” Danladi said. He added that the situation will be managed until September when tomatoes will be available again.

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Abdulahi Ringim, National President of TOGAN, noted that the price hike is a natural phenomenon due to the seasonal nature of tomato production. He also cited a massive outbreak of Tuta Absoluta, a pest that devastated tomato farms in several states, as a major cause. “Tomatoes are seasonal product. So at times tomatoes are expensive, at other times tomatoes are not expensive due to the seasonal nature of the produce,” he said.

Ringim further explained that transportation costs have increased due to the hike in fuel prices and the multiple checkpoints along highways, where truck drivers are often forced to pay bribes or face delays, leading to spoilage of the perishable produce

Muhammadu Sani, a tomato dealer in Ido Ekiti, attributed the increase in prices to the planting season, saying, “If you notice, you will realise that by this time every year, prices of tomatoes used to go up. This is because it’s seasonal and this is the planting season.”

The price hike has left many households struggling to afford tomatoes and pepper, with some reporting significant increases in prices. A resident lamented, “I used to buy N500 tomato and N200 pepper to make stew for my family of four before. But on Saturday, I went to the market to buy tomato and pepper only to realise that there is no N500 tomato again. The tomato seller said the tomato is from N1,500 upwards. And tatase that I used to buy for N200 is now N1,000 and pepper is now from N500 upwards too.

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