Tomato prices soar 52% in Lagos

Ahead of Muslim celebration, the prices of fresh tomatoes have risen by 52 percent in most Lagos markets, BusinessDay recent market survey shows.
Checks around Mile 12, Oshodi and Boundary markets in Lagos on Thursday revealed that a big basket of fresh tomatoes, which sold for between N18,000 and N20,000 in late May 2017, now goes for between N28,000 and N30,000.
As of Thursday, a 50kg bag of rice was between N16,000 and N16,500, as against N17,000 to N18,000 a month ago. Similarly, a 50kg bag of onions increased to N24,000 – N26,000, from N17,000 in April. A 50kg bag of ‘Rodo’, a brand of pepper, now sells for N14,000, from N18,000 within the same period.
According to a recent report by SBM Intelligence, incidents of widespread lay-offs and cutbacks by companies have continued, the problems of purchasing power decreasing relative to earnings, and pockets of unrest in key farming regions have continued showing up on the shelves of markets.
‘‘Nigerian consumer remains constrained. While food inflation still increased, the rate of increase has slowed down. The irony was that as the purchasing power of Nigerians has decreased, prices kept rising rapidly until the recent slowdown,’’ said Cheta Nwanze, head of research for SBM Intelligence.
‘‘This slowdown therefore seems to have offered the succour many Nigerians desperately need at the checkout counter.’’
More so, a 25-litre gallon of vegetable oil dropped from N14, 500 to N12, 000, while that of palm oil remained flat at the price of N12,500 within the same period.
However, the price of a 50kg bag of Oloyin beans rose from N18,000 to N21,000, while 100kg bag of Olotu beans increased from N41,000 to N44,000, but 100kg bag of garri dropped to N23,500 from N26,000 within the same period.
A carton of frozen chickens witnessed a slight decline in price from N12, 000 to between N10, 000 and N10, 500, while that of turkey, which previously sold for N14, 000, now goes for N11, 400.
However, the price of kerosene witnessed a significant rise in the last month while the price of refilling a cylinder cooking gas remained flat.
A litre of kerosene, which sold for N150 at filling stations, is now N200. The 1.5l itres Eva water bottle of kerosene, which sold for between N350 and N400 in May, rose to sell for between N400 and N500, depending on the location.
‘‘Most people have switched to charcoal and a few to cooking gas. I hardly sell up to one gallon of kerosene now unlike before,’’ said Josephine Onokpa, a kerosene dealer in Lagos.
The price to refill a 12.5kg cylinder cooking gas hovers between N4,000 and N5,000, across the country, depending on the location.
Biliya Lawal Adam, secretary of Perishable Goods’ section, Mile 12 Market, Lagos, had earlier attributed the high price of tomatoes to the ravaging disease known Tuta Absoluta, also known as ‘Tomato Ebola,’ which had destroyed a huge percentage of the crop in the north-east zone, where most tomatoes are planted.
“We get fresh pepper from three states. Sokoto State is the highest producer of pepper but they are off-season at the moment. We now rely on pepper from Kaduna state and it’s only one local government in the state that we can get pepper. Sokoto will start harvesting in November/December. The small basket of pepper from Bende that is sold for N3, 000 is now N9, 000,” Lawal said.
‘‘Sokoto state also produces onions but currently they are offseason, we get onions from Jigawa and the onions they produce is not enough,’’ he said.

 

CHINWE AGBEZE