Tomato prices decline 90% in Lagos, others on bumper harvest

Relief for households as prices of tomatoes dropped 90 percent in Lagos and other major cities across the country as farmers record bumper harvest in key growing states.

According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the price of a 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells for as low as N10,000 to N12,000, depending on the species.

In Lagos, the price of a big basket of tomatoes now costs an average of N14,000 as against an average of N150,000 recorded in May 2024. This represents a decline of approximately 90 percent in eight months.

In the northern part of the country, a 25kg plastic crate now costs an average of N6,500.

Rabiu Zuntu, the chairman of the Tomato Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria said the bumper harvest is a result of the January-to-March harvest period, during which tomato plants produce an abundance of fruits.

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According to him, this surplus often leads to reduced prices and significant post-harvest losses.

“One of the problems we face in the tomato sector is that the period from January, February, and March is that of tomato glut,” said Zuntu. “Presently, we only have a few functioning tomato processing facilities to help reduce the post-harvest losses we witness annually,” he explained.

“We usually advise consumers this period to preserve as much tomatoes as they can to cushion the effect when the produce gets expensive later in the year,” he added.

Zuntu urged Nigerians to take advantage of the price slash by buying in bulk and preserving before the price peaks in April.

However, these preservation methods may not be able to work for large-scale preservation and storage of the produce, he cautioned.