The Tomatoes Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria says the supply of tomatoes will rise as Christmas and New Year celebrations draw near.
The chairman of the association, Rabiu Zuntu, told the News Agency of Nigeria during an interview on Monday in Lagos that the market is already seeing signs of improvement.
Zuntu said the falling prices are a result of higher supply. He said, “Actually, the price of tomatoes is presently down, and most times it is influenced by the forces of demand and supply. The higher the supply, the lower the price, and vice versa.”
He explained that tomato supply has been rising in recent days, which has pushed the price down sharply. He said, “Presently, the volume of supply is increasing, and the price has gone down considerably. Up north last week, a 50kg basket of tomatoes sold between N25,000 and N30,000 compared with N40,000 and N60,000 weeks back.
“Currently, the same quantity of tomatoes sells between N15,000 and N16,000 up north.”
Zuntu added that more tomatoes will enter the market soon because many farmers are yet to start harvesting. He said, “Actually, we are going to have enough because, looking at the farming situation and the level of maturity or ripeness of the tomato ready for harvesting.
“There are some farm areas that have not yet started harvesting, and with those who have started, the quantity will continue to increase towards the Christmas and the New Year celebrations.”
In Lagos, NAN reports that a 50kg basket now sells between N40,000 and N50,000, down from between N80,000 and N100,000 seen in previous months. A crate sells between N15,000 and N18,000.
