As the new harvest season unfolds, markets across Lagos and Abuja have seen a significant drop in the prices of tomatoes and peppers. At the bustling Ketu and Berger markets in Lagos, traders report that the price of a large basket of tomatoes has plummeted to between N55,000 and N60,000, a sharp decline from the previous peak of N150,000 just a few months ago.
The soothing dramatic shift for consumers is largely attributed to the arrival of fresh produce from the northern regions, as the seasonal harvest of Hausa tomatoes and peppers begins to flood the markets. One trader who spoke to The Cable at Ketu market shared that a crate of tomatoes, once commanding N55,000, is now being sold for just N30,000.
Similarly, the price of a large basket of habanero pepper, locally known as rodo, has fallen to an average of N25,000, a significant drop from the N55,000 it fetched during the height of the price surge. Another trader noted that a small basket of tomatoes, which previously cost between N30,000 and N34,000, is now priced between N20,000 and N25,000. Likewise, the cost of a small sack of pepper has been slashed from N50,000 to between N15,000 and N20,000.
The price reduction trend continues at the Berger market, where traders report that a large basket of tomatoes has dropped in price from a range of N150,000 to N200,000 to approximately N50,000 to N60,000. A crate of tomatoes, which once sold for N35,000, now goes for N15,000.
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