Annual tomato price hikes to end by 2016

The hike in prices of tomatoes usually occurring annually around May to July which has persisted for about a decade is expected to end by 2016, according to industry analysts.

This is in spite of the challenges of climate change which causes delayed rains and this year’s outbreak of a tomato pest called Tuta absoluta in the northern part of the country. Shehu Usman, financial secretary, Arewa Perishable Foodstuffs Market Association, Mile 12 Market explained to BusinessDay, “A very large number of people are going into cultivation of tomatoes and these are not just smallholder farmers, they are well-educated individuals.” According to industry watchers, the advent of these professionals in the production of any crop has often resulted in very significant output as they are able to tackle the vagaries of weather through irrigation, control pests/diseases and overcome other challenges.   

Affirming that there would not be skyrocketing tomato prices next year, Edobong Akpabio, chief executive, Visionage Agrotech Farms, said, “Even in the Southwest, more individual businesses are going into tomato production because they now have seeds, more information on the know-how and access to fertilizers, for instance from Notore which has released a fertilizer that is very good for the production of tomatoes.”

Akpabio also stated that the pests outbreak in the north this year even though not confirmed by government sources contributed to the scarcity. The industry analysts are also almost certain that the problems of insurgency by Boko Haram and attacks by Fulani herdsmen which has been affecting farming communities in the north would reduce significantly by 2016.

Every year within the last 10 years due to climate change mainly and difficult access of vehicles to farms as a result of heavy rainfall and bad roads, the prices of tomatoes go up astronomically around May to August. In 2014, prices of tomatoes rose from lowest N3, 000 to highest N17, 000. But this year, prices of tomatoes rose by about 90percent to 100percent, from lowest N3,000/N5,000 to highest of N30,000 and more within the second quarter. This is the most astronomical in recent years and it is mainly due to delay in rainfall, and the fuel scarcity which was prevalent at that period and poor road infrastructure.

Another problem though not widely reported was the outbreak of “Tuta Absoluta” pests which ravaged some farms in the northern part of the country.

There is now huge optimism that the advent of professionals would also help to develop the value chains and reduce significantly wastages resulting in loss of 50 percent of the crops. According to former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria early last year in Kano, “The demand for tomato is currently estimated at 2.3 million metric tons per annum, while the output is 1.8 million metric tons but due to lack of good storage facilities and poor developed marketing channels, up to 50 per cent of the tomato produced is lost.”

OLUYINKA ALAWODE