Nigeria is experiencing a serious shortage of peppers and tomatoes, with prices skyrocketing as a consequence.
Shola Adegbesan, a tomato seller in Iyana Iba Market, Ojo LGA of Lagos, expressed concerns, stating that while tomato scarcity is a typical seasonal occurrence, this year's situation has been particularly challenging due to the rising cost of fuel, Nairametrics reports.
A tomato seller in Mowe, Ogun State, Mrs. Abiodun Farayola, spoke with Punch on Friday: "Tomato and pepper are now expensive because of the high fuel prices as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy. These food items are transported from the North to the South, and the transporters make use of trucks which are dependent on fuel, so they added their fuel expenses to the cost of transporting tomatoes and pepper."
A trader, Abdullahi Musa, who sells tomatoes and pepper in baskets in the market, said, "It is not our fault that tomatoes are expensive now. Transportation from the North to Lagos has doubled, more so the rains damage most of the produce harvested, so the quantity coming into the state is limited," Punch reports.
This situation is happening on top of the already happening tomato scarcity caused by a Tuta absoluta infestation, as we reported in May. A tomato farmer in Kano State, Abdullahi Wabe, stated that "Tomatoes are just coming back into the market. I don't know why it was not noticeable, but this scarcity has been going on for a long time. Farmers lost over half of their produce to the tomato ebola," Punch reports.
Wabe's account is supported by statements dated May, when the Tuta was hitting hard, and the scarcity and price hikes just started hitting Nigeria. "Prices for a basket of fresh tomatoes used to be for around 10-20 cents, now it's for 3-5 dollars," said Mr. Abiola Oladigbolu, Head of the Biopesticide Center at the National Horticultural Research Institute to HortiDaily.