Tomato traders, as well as consumers, have lamented the recent scarcity and rising prices of tomatoes in the country. The traders attributed the scarcity and hike to seasonal occurrence; they claim there was nothing they could do but to sell in accordance with the market value. They, however, predicted that the scarcity would likely last till late September or early October.
One tomato trader in a popular Ile-epo market at the Alimosho Local Government said the boom season of tomatoes had passed. He added that the harvest season of tomatoes was over, hence the recent hike in the price of the produce.
A resident of the Ojo area of the state said since the scarcity of the produce, she no longer buys fresh tomatoes. “I don’t buy fresh tomatoes again since the recent hike in the price. In spite of the price increase, the quantity is nothing to take home. We now make use of tinned tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero pepper, and a lot of onions for our stews as tomatoes have become ‘gold.’”
Source: 21stcenturychronicle.com