A ninefold jump in tomato prices in Nigeria is putting pressure on processors, forcing them to discontinue processing the fresh vegetable. Prices of tomatoes have surged 847 percent year to date owing to the invasion of Tuta Absoluta in major producing states in May and the current rainy season.
The situation has left Nigeria’s tomato paste and concentrate production industry at a standstill as the country’s largest processor and two other medium-sized factories have shut down, perpetuating the importation and smuggling of triple concentrate into Nigeria.
The surge in the prices of fresh fruits this year started much earlier in May after Tuta Absoluta invaded farms in major tomato-growing areas in the country. The price hike has now worsened as the country enters the rainy season and starts importing fresh fruits from neighboring countries to fill the demand gap.
Source: businessday.ng
