Tomato price crashes in Hadejia, Jigawa

Price of tomatoes have dropped by over 1, 000 per cent in Hadejia, Jigawa, following increase in the supply of the produce to the market.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that prices of tomatoes previously recorded unprecedented rise due to acute scarcity occasioned by pest infestation.

The pest called `Tuta Absoluta’ ravaged tomato plantations, which led to scarcity and sudden rise in price of tomatoes across the country.

NAN observed at Hadejia market on Monday that price of the produce had crashed as against the astronomical rise witnessed in the past three months.

A basket of tomato at present was sold at prices ranging from N2, 500 to N3, 000, as against its previous price of over N30, 000.

Also, prices of other perishable produce indicated similar decrease, as a bag of pepper now cost N6, 000 and onions N2, 000, as against its old price of N20, 000 and 12, 000, respectively.

Traders at the market attributed the fall in prices to improved supply of the produce.

Malam Ali Danfulani, a tomato dealer, said that the market was flooded with tomato and other produce, a trend which he said pushed the prices down.

Danfulani told NAN that prices of the produce would further go down in view of the significant increase in the supply.

``Prices of tomato are going down on daily basis due to increase in the supply.

``The produce is sold at a lower price to avoid counting losses,” he said.

Bilyaminu Hamza, a tomato grower, added that farmers sold the produce at a lower price to avoid losses due to lack of preservation facilities.

Hamza expressed dissatisfaction that absence of modern storage facilities in the state was militating against sustainable growth of perishable farming.

He advocated for introduction of modern preservation technologies in order to minimise the wastages of the produce.

``Lack of modern preservation technologies was largely responsible for post harvest losses.

``In this part of the country the weather condition is usually hot and cause damage to tomato and other perishable produce.

``Now that there is increase in supply from the farms, price glut is inevitable”, he said.

He called on state and Federal Governments for assistance and proactive measures to expose farmers and traders to modern preservation and processing technologies in order to add value to their produce.