By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

As food prices remain unabated, tomato scarcity and high high prices have hit Nigerians below the belt, therefore compounding their woes and made them groan.

A civil servant in Abuja, simply called Bolanle said following preparation for her daughter’s marriage ceremony, she bought a big basket of tomato in one of the markets in Abuja at N90,000, while the price in Delta State for the same basket goes for N100,000.

As food prices remain unabated, tomato scarcity and high high prices have hit Nigerians below the belt, therefore compounding their woes and made them groan

A civil servant in Abuja, simply called Bolanle said following preparation for her daughter’s marriage ceremony, she bought a big basket of tomato in one of the markets in Abuja at N90,000, while the price in Delta State for the same basket goes for N100,000.

Recently tomato farmers made huge losses following invasion of caterpillar insects invasion on large tomato farms in Kano State, which farmers were adversely devastated.

The Chairman, M.K. Kura Farms, Butalawa, Kura Local Government Area, Kano State, Mukhtar Kura, disclosed in a chat with Vanguard that tomato farmers are reeling in pain over the unexpected invasion of the insects.

According to Kura, the farmers had similar experience in 2023 at the same time and made a loss of N1.5 billion, and the insects did the damage within 24 hours in two Local Government Areas of Kano State, which are Bagwai and Dawakin Tofa.

On the current high prices of tomato in the market, he said, “Most of the farmers have cultivated their tomatoes, and are planning on planting something different.”

A tomato production expert and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, EA Daniels Farm, Sapele, Delta State, Engr Daniel Ijeh, said there are strategies that would serve as intervention to address the high cost of tomatoes in Nigeria.

According to Ijeh, the root cause of high prices of tomato is traceable to a significant reduction in tomatoes yields.

He said: “In recent months, our nation has experienced an unprecedented shortage in the supply of tomatoes, a staple in our daily diet.

“This shortage has led to a dramatic and unbearable increase in prices, straining household budgets and impacting various sectors of our economy from small eateries to restaurants.

“The root cause of this crisis is a significant reduction in tomatoes yields, even zero yield in many instances, attributed to a severe heat wave that struck the country from January to April this year.”