Mr Oyeleke Bola, National President of the Tomato and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria (TOPAN), says low harvests due to rains and rising production costs are responsible for the current high prices of tomatoes in Nigeria.
Bola disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja.
He explained that factors affecting tomato production include high costs of pest control, fertilisers and other sustainability challenges.
He noted that these issues have caused a seasonal rise in tomato prices, especially during the rainy season.
Bola also attributed the sharp increase in prices to rising costs of seeds and other farm inputs, higher logistics expenses, and severe pest infestations.
“Before now, cultivating one hectare of tomatoes could cost about N300,000, but today the cost has increased to nearly N2.5 million. This has significantly reduced production and kept many smallholder farmers out of cultivation this year.
“Many farmers cannot afford the current cost of production. The few who managed to cultivate had to contend with heavy pest attacks during the rainy season, leading to low harvests and inadequate supply to meet market demand,” he said.
He explained that the combination of reduced output and rising demand has resulted in higher prices nationwide.
“In addition, transportation costs have compounded the situation. Moving tomatoes from major producing states to consumer markets has become more expensive due to poor road conditions, traffic delays and the general rise in logistics costs.
“While seasonal tomato shortages have become a recurring challenge, a coordinated response by government and the private sector could help address the problem,” he said.
Bola called for increased investment in the production of quality seeds, fertiliser supply, pest management, storage infrastructure and agricultural data systems to improve production.
