Traders appeal to FG to assist in curtailing tomato waste


 The Mile 12 Perishable Traders Association, Lagos, on Monday urged the Federal Government to assist in establishing more tomato processing plants to curtail waste during harvest season.
Mr Femi Odusanya, the association spokesman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the appeal became necessary because of the availability of tomatoes in Lagos markets.
“After the defeat of tuta absoluta (a tomato pest), tomato is here again and we do not want re-occurrence of it scarcity.
“We are appealing that measures be immediately put in place by encouraging tomato processing plants to convert it into paste to check tomato waste.
“This is the harvest season and more tomatoes will soon flood markets all over the country and the earlier it is converted into paste the better for Nigerians,” Odusanya said.
He reiterated that the prices of tomato had dropped compared to previous months.
"The market is almost saturated with tomatoes and we fear that waste will soon occur.
"Within the next few weeks, tomato prices will crash further because the tomato from Cotonou will soon come in.
"We feel the government and operators of the processing plants should mop up the produce for preservation considering the agony many suffered when tomato was expensive and scarce few months ago."
NAN reports that a survey carried out in Mile 12, Iddo and Whitesand markets reveals that a basket of tomato now sells for N10,000 from N24, 000 it sold in July.
A basket of chilli pepper (rodo) reduced from N13, 000 to N8, 000, tatashe, which previously cost N17, 000 is now N5, 000 while a jute bag of onions cost N14, 500 from 16,000.
In May, a basket of tomato sold for as high as N42, 000 when a pest known as tuta absoluta ravaged most tomato farms in the northern part of the country.
The attack led to the scarcity of tomatoes in the country.
Meanwhile, the pest has been subdued due to the government's intervention and the negative effect of rain on the pest. 

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