By S David Prince
Nigerians paying record-high prices for tomatoes can expect relief from August, as wet-season harvests begin to flood the market with fresh supply, according to the Tomatoes Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria.
Mr. Rabiu Zuntu, Kaduna State Chairman of the association, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos, attributing the current price surge to the seasonal gap between the end of dry-season harvest and the start of wet-season production.
The numbers tell the story of just how sharp the increase has been. A 50kg basket of tomatoes that sold for between N18,000 and N20,000 in January now costs between N100,000 and N130,000, depending on variety, a rise of more than 500 percent in five months. A 25kg crate currently sells for between N50,000 and N70,000 at wholesale markets in Lagos.
“We projected that the increase in tomato prices would last until the end of July when wet-season harvesting begins. From August, prices will begin to decline considerably because fresh supplies will enter the market,” Mr. Zuntu stated.
He explained that the recurring scarcity Nigerians experience between May and June each year stems largely from climate change, particularly unpredictable rainfall and extreme heat that restrict tomato cultivation in major producing states such as Kaduna and Kano during that window.
According to him, the growing adoption of flood-resistant tomato varieties has allowed more farmers to cultivate through the rainy season, a shift he credits with shortening what would otherwise have been a longer wait.
“If farmers had not embraced these improved varieties, Nigerians might have had to wait until October or November before prices dropped,” he disclosed.
Mr. Zuntu added that heat-tolerant seed varieties could further boost production if made more widely available to farmers, and called on government and private investors to establish more cold-chain storage facilities across producing states.
“When harvest is abundant, proper cold storage will allow farmers to preserve tomatoes for one or two months instead of watching them spoil. That will help bridge the gap between supply and demand and reduce seasonal price fluctuations,” he said.
The TOPAN chairman also urged sustained government support for the tomato value chain, including improved seeds, fertilisers and agrochemicals, noting that while current high prices have helped many farmers recover losses from previous production cycles, long-term investment remains necessary to guarantee food security and price stability for consumers.
This price volatility comes shortly after the Federal Government’s distribution of 80,640 bags of free fertiliser to North-Central farmers, part of a broader push to stabilise food costs ahead of the planting season.
