By Gabriel Ewepu
There seems to be respite for Nigerians in the reduction of high tomato prices, as the Tomatoes and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria, TOPAN, assured that current high tomato prices will crash this July following significant harvest from Plateau State, a major tomato producing State in the country.
Speaking during an interview with Vanguard, the National President, TOPAN, Oyeleke Bola, gave the assurance while speaking on factors that led to high prices of tomato across the country.
According to Bola, the late rainfalls was a major causative factor, which was later compounded by tuta absoluta also called tomato ebola, whereby farmers in Kano bore the huge brunt of it, therefore, the prices skyrocketed unabatedly.
“Another challenge is the high cost of transportation, and this is really affecting the current tomato price in the market but with the coming in with the new harvest into major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and others at least by the middle of July the high price of tomato will go down a little.”
He also said tomato farmers have learnt from their current experience on the weather challenge that adversely affected their production, therefore, they will adjust to ensure they do the needful before, during and after planting tomatoes.
Meanwhile, he said, all year round tomato production is a major solution to scarcity and high prices of tomato in the market, basically, when there is massive investment from the private sector, and if the government collaborates with the private sector.
Vanguard