Tomato Farmers Predict Gradual Price Hike Post Ramadan

The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) has predicted a steady increase in tomato prices after Ramadan.
The Kaduna State chairman of NATPAN, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, disclosed this in an interview recently.
Zuntu explained that the price of tomatoes would rise gradually as the harvest season comes to an end and the glut experienced earlier in the year declines. “The harvest period for tomatoes is over, so we should expect higher prices for the produce in the coming months.
“Although we still have some produce in stock, it is gradually dwindling, and we no longer have the glut we experienced earlier in the year.
“Farmers in the Kano and Kaduna axis are still harvesting tomatoes, but the volume has reduced significantly. The glut season is over,” he added.
Zuntu noted that the prices of tomatoes and other vegetables had remained stable during Ramadan due to the earlier surplus in supply.
“However, with the decline in the glut experienced in the early months of the year, the price of tomatoes will begin to rise,” he said.
He added that farmers were already preparing for wet-season cultivation to help moderate prices in the coming months.
“For us in the North, the rainy season is approaching. There is no delay in the rains, and based on our traditional pattern, we expect rainfall around April.
“So farmers have started preparing their farms and clearing land in readiness for wet-season farming,” he said.
Zuntu further disclosed that a 50kg basket of tomatoes currently sells for about N20,000 in the North.
“This is higher compared to the last two weeks when the same quantity sold for between N5,000 and N8,000,” he said.
He added that by the time the produce is transported to Lagos and other parts of the country, the price could rise to between N30,000 and N40,000.
According to him, while the increase in fuel prices may not significantly affect tomato prices in the North, transportation costs will likely drive up prices in other parts of the country.